The Tareen Oxford Scholarship, which will offer means-tested support for Pakistani students with a preference for gifted students from South Punjab, was unveiled by the Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP) on Tuesday.
According to a statement from the OPP, the scholarship will be given to students who have been offered admission to one of the graduate programmes at Kellogg College at the University of Oxford that are eligible but lack the funds to accept the offer.
“Preference will be given to students for whom the scholarship will be a life-changing opportunity and who have the potential and commitment to contribute to the development of South Punjab,” the statement said.
As part of the OPP’s graduate scholarship programme, which awards at least three graduate scholarships each year to deserving Pakistani and British Pakistani students, the scholarship will help cover the students’ tuition fees and living expenses.
This chance will be fundamental in helping South Punjab, one of Pakistan’s least developed provinces, to develop its brilliant young scholars.
The scholarship will not only help the recipients, but it will also raise the aspirations of other outstanding individuals in the communities from which Tareen scholars will be chosen. It will also be a significant step towards creating a more diverse and inclusive academic community at Oxford,” the statement mentioned.
Two initiatives will make up this programme:
An access programme for final-year students wishing to pursue graduate degrees will include an access conference for South Punjab final-year students wishing to pursue MSc and PhD degrees overseas. The top 20 Access Conference registrants will receive complimentary one-on-one mentoring with an Oxford student or recent alumnus.
100 students from South Punjab who have either topped their FSc. boards or received the highest marks in their first year of university will be chosen as top FSc and first-year public sector university students. These students will receive mentoring on how to maximise their upcoming three to four years, advice on potential careers.
