The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme supports exceptional scholars devoting their studies and professional careers to international development or environmental management and conservation. These studies encompass a number of subjects offered within the University’s School of Geography and the Environment and Department of International Development.
The scheme targets exceptional individuals from the transition and emerging economies of Europe’s wider neighbourhood including Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia, as well as North Africa and the Middle East.
Financial support is generously provided by the Fondation Hoffmann, a Swiss-based grant making institution created in 2000. Its mission is to support the emergence and expansion of concrete projects which address global problems in today’s societies. The Foundation is particularly committed to fostering research and encouraging talented students. To date the Foundation has supported the creation of four academic chairs and funded a number of scholarship schemes and research projects, with a particular focus on the environment and economics.
This scholarship forms part of the wider Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme, managed by the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust. For more information, including details of the leadership programme, please see the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme web page.
The scholarship will cover 100% of University and college fees and a grant for living costs (of at least £14,057). Awards are made for the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course.
Scholarship outcomes
Decisions are expected to be made around May 2016. If you have not heard from us by the time this page is updated to say that successful applicants have been notified, then please assume that your application has been unsuccessful. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to contact unsuccessful applicants individually or provide feedback on applications.
Eligibility:
You must be applying to start one of the following courses:
- MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management
- MPhil in Development Studies
- MSc in Economics for Development
- MSc in Environmental Change and Management
- DPhil in Geography and the Environment
- MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy
- DPhil in International Development
- MSc in Migration Studies
- MSc in Nature, Society and Environmental Governance
- MSc in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies
- MSc in Water Science, Policy and Management
You must also be ordinarily resident in one of the following countries:
| Afghanistan | Israel | Qatar |
| Albania | Jordan | Romania |
| Algeria | Kazakhstan | Russia |
| Armenia | Kosovo | Saudi Arabia |
| Azerbaijan | Kuwait | Serbia |
| Bahrain | Kyrgyzstan | Slovakia |
| Belarus | Latvia | Slovenia |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Lebanon | Syria |
| Bulgaria | Libya | Tajikistan |
| Croatia | Lithuania | Tunisia |
| Czech Republic | Mauritania | Turkey |
| Egypt | Moldova | Turkmenistan |
| Estonia | Mongolia | Ukraine |
| FYR Macedonia | Montenegro | United Arab Emirates |
| Georgia | Morocco | Uzbekistan |
| Hungary | Oman | Western Sahara |
| Iran | Palestine | Yemen |
| Iraq | Poland |
You should be intending to return to your country of ordinary residence once your course is completed. Students currently at Oxford are not eligible to apply unless they are already Weidenfeld scholars.
You should be able to demonstrate a connection between your subject of study and your longer-term career objectives, explaining how you see your professional work contributing to the improvement of public life in your country of origin or at a wider regional or international level.
The above qualities will be assessed during the selection process, including using your graduate application form, your Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships Questionnaire and (if relevant) your interview.
Applicants who hold deferred offers to start in 2016-17 are not eligible to be considered for these scholarships.
How to Apply:
In order to be considered for this scholarship, you must select the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme in the University of Oxford Scholarships section of the University’s graduate application form and submit your application for graduate study by the relevant January deadline for your course (22 January 2016).
You must also complete a Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships Questionnaire (see Related documents on this page) and upload it, together with your graduate application form, by the deadline.
We will use the details you insert in the ‘Nationality and ordinary residence’ section of the graduate application form to assess your country of ordinary residence. For a definition of ordinary residency and further details on how to complete this section of the graduate application form, please see the Nationality and Ordinary residence sections of the graduate application form and also the Technical Help.
To be eligible for consideration for this scholarship, applicants must be successful in being offered a place on their course after consideration of applications received by the relevant January deadline for the course. Course applications which are held over after the January deadline to be re-evaluated against applications received by the March deadline or course applications which have been put on a waiting list are not eligible for scholarship consideration.
If you are shortlisted for the scholarship, you will be required to participate in an interview, which is likely to be held via Skype in April 2016.
