Meet the six South Africans who are off to Oxford on Rhodes scholarships

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Durban - Six South African students have been selected as part of the prestigious Rhodes Trust Scholarship. They have been selected among a group of 101 students from around the world. The Rhodes Trust said the group of 101 students was a record-breaking class. They are expected to start studying at Oxford in October 2019. “The Rhodes Class of 2019 will be the most geographically diverse in the Trust’s 116-year history. Scholars were selected from two new Rhodes constituencies, East Africa (Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and Burundi) and Saudi Arabia, as well as from a reinstated Singapore constituency. “For the first time, the Trust also offered two Rhodes Scholarships to candidates from anywhere in the world not otherwise eligible to apply, a significant step in its efforts to make the Rhodes a truly global scholarship. Applications for the new Global Scholarship were received from 32 countries,” the trust said. Dr Elizabeth Kiss, CEO and Warden of the Rhodes Trust, they were looking forward to meeting this new group of ‘remarkable young people’.

“Their interests range widely, from genomics to poetry, human rights to nanoparticles. Many have overcome challenging life circumstances, from refugee status to foster care to navigating education as a first-generation college student. All of them demonstrate the power of the human spirit to strive and excel and give me great hope for the future.”

Below, meet the six South Africans who will be headed for Oxford:

Kieran Brown

Kieran Brown, University of Cape Town

BCom (Hons) Economics

Kieran graduated with a BA in Economics and English Language and Literature from the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa, in 2016. He completed his Honours in English Language and Literature in 2017, where he focused on Kafka studies and continental philosophy. Thereafter he undertook a second Honours degree in Economics, which he will complete in 2018. Here, he focused on the points of contact between chartalism and theories of language. His primary intellectual interest lies at the intersections between Economics and literature. Kieran has participated in student outreach organisations at both a leadership and volunteer level. He has also involved himself in political organisations at UCT. Kieran enjoys reading and writing and aspires to discover new knowledge for understanding and theorising the economy.





Colin Besaans

Colin Besaans, University of Cape Town

BComm (Honours) in Economics / BComm in Economics and Law

Colin is a consultant with McKinsey & Company, currently based in Doha. He works on a broad range of topics from renewable energy to economic development. He is a Mandela Rhodes Scholar (2016) and graduated from the University of Cape Town with a BComm (Honours) in Economics (magna cum laude) and BComm in Economics and Law. He is returning to his studies to better understand how he can contribute to African development. Colin spent a decade debating, representing his country and university at the World Schools and Universities Debating Championships respectively. He also served as the Deputy Director of the Thethani Debating League and National Chief Adjudicator for Schools Debating. He loves rock climbing and hopes to rekindle his passion for martial arts at Oxford.





Emily Wallace

Emily Wallace, University of the Witwatersrand

BSc Hons Physics, with specialisation in Theoretical Physics

Emily is a Wits University theoretical physics and astrophysics graduate, where she specialised in general relativity, gravitational waves and quantum field theory. With a childhood dream of becoming an astronaut, and a passion for science communication, she graduated with distinction as the top Science Faculty student. Committed to nurturing public interest in the advancement of space exploration, she is fascinated by the intersection between science and the human experience. In her quest to promote scientific citizenry, she spent four years part-time at the Wits Planetarium and building the Wits Astronomy Club. Believing that women and minorities are highly under-represented in STEM, she aims to make these spaces inclusive and transformative. Emily has a diverse range of interests, including theatre, music, fiction, gaming and politics.





Nabeela Kajee

Nabeela Kajee, University of Stellenbosch

MBChB Medicine and Surgery

Nabeela Kajee is a medical doctor who is passionate about creating an impact globally, at the intersection of Medicine and Education. She graduated from Stellenbosch University with her Medical Degree conferred Cum Laude, and was awarded the Dean’s Medal for being The Best Undergraduate Student of The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. She completed medical electives at Oxford and Cornell University, and summer school at Utrecht University. She is currently concluding her medical internship at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. Her writing has been published in academic journals on the topics of Medical Education, Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) and Medical Humanities. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing poetry - and sharing her baking experiments.





Shamila Mpinga

Shamila Mpinga, University of Cape Town

LLM Private Law (Mineral Law)

Shamila is currently reading for a Masters in Law at the University of Cape Town (UCT) as a Mandela Rhodes Scholar (2017). Her research focuses on improving the implementation of environmental laws in South Africa’s mining industry using cooperative governance structures. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree (summa cum laude) from the University of KwaZulu Natal. At UCT, she works as a researcher for the Mineral Law in Africa Chair. She also monitors and writes reports of Parliamentary meetings in South Africa. At Oxford, she intends to explore how entrepreneurship in emerging markets could shape the economy and promote youth employment. Shamila is a volunteer ambassador for Rise Against Hunger Africa. Her interests range from politics and commerce to fashion and hiking.

Nkahiseng Ralepeli

Nkahiseng Ralepeli, University of the Free State

LLB Law

Nkahiseng Ralepeli is currently completing his LL.B at the University of the Free State. With a passion for a clashing of ideas, Nkahiseng has been involved in non-governmental organisations such as Corruption Watch and Debate Afrika using debating to not only educate the youth in South Africa but engage various social ills that plague South Africa however he can. Additionally, Nkahiseng has represented his institution at various debating tournaments including the Pan-African Championships and the Worlds University Debate Championships. An Abe Bailey Bursary recipient, Nkahiseng has always been incredibly interested in the transformation of African political theory and the establishment of various structures in the development and maintenance of African ‘infant’ democracies post civil wars. He later hopes to pursue a career in South African politics.

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