Oxford University is celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Scholarship Programme this week with a special event for scholars and alumni, with guest speaker Lord Mandelson.
The prestigious scholarship programme for graduate students in the Humanities Division launched in 2012 thanks to a generous donation from Mrs Mica Ertegun CBE. It has since become recognised as an important part of the education landscape at the University. 157 scholars from 35 countries have received full funding to study at Oxford through the programme. This has helped the University to significantly widen access to graduate study in the humanities.
Ertegun Scholars study a wide range of subjects including literature, history, music, archaeology, art history, ancient history and languages. The students benefit from being part of a close community with space to work and collaborate in Ertegun House on St Giles’ in central Oxford. In addition, they receive mentorship from a full-time Director of Ertegun House and enjoy a programme of lectures, seminars, concerts and other activities. Some of the world’s most prominent musicians, writers and artists have visited to speak to the scholars.
After graduating the students automatically become part of the Ertegun Alumni Community, which allows them to stay in contact and collaborate throughout their careers while providing support to future generations of Ertegun Scholars. The network now has 136 members and is growing every year.
Ertegun alumni are making an impact across the world and are currently spread across 21 different countries. They are working in a wide range of fields including academia, journalism, law, cybersecurity, government, finance, charity, media, teaching and professional music performance.
Professor Dame Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, said: ‘The Ertegun Scholarships provide a wonderful opportunity to exceptional graduates to pursue their studies in the humanities at Oxford. This generous investment by Mrs Mica Ertegun will ensure that for decades to come our graduates will be making the case for the humanities around the world.’
Professor Gervase Rosser, Director of Ertegun House, said: ‘Ten years from its inception, the Ertegun Scholarship Programme has flourished on the full scale of Mica Ertegun’s wide vision. The scholars are not only brilliant in their respective fields but engage with one another in endlessly creative ways. As they carry that engagement into the wider community, they are reinforcing the role of the humanities in the world at large.’
Mrs Ertegun lives in New York City and is one of the world’s foremost interior designers. She holds an honorary CBE and her late husband was Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records.