M A I N   N E W S

Special to the tribune
Study centre named after Indira to come up at Oxford
Shyam Bhatia in London

An Oxford University project to create a new graduate studies centre named in honour of Indira Gandhi has attracted a contribution of Rs 25 crore (approximately £3 million) from the Government of India.

India’s contribution, which has been matched by a similar sum from Oxford, will help fund scholarships for postgraduate students from India to study at the centre - the Indira Gandhi Centre for Sustainable Development.

Details of the unique project have been revealed by the head of the college where Indira Gandhi herself was briefly enrolled as an undergraduate student studying history back in 1937.

Dr Alice Prochaska, Principal of Somerville College, explained: “The idea is we are offering these scholarships to students from India who have been offered places on master’s courses at Oxford.”

She added: There are several master’s courses that we’ve identified as relating to the first of the themes we wish to develop through the Indira Gandhi Centre. That theme is food security. There are several courses that students have applied for, which relate in one way or another to food security and policies surrounding food security. Each one of the courses has a slightly different design, but essentially they are a mixture of teaching and research.”

Since Oxford wants to attract the brightest and the best from India, including those who could emerge as future leaders, all applicants have been subjected to a rigorous screening process.

“What we did was to identify the eligible pool of candidates who are all from Indian universities, they are all of Indian nationality ordinarily resident in India and these candidates have been through the very rigorous Oxford University applications process and have been offered places on courses that they chose”, Dr Prochaska explained.

“Academically, we already know that they are very highly qualified. We wrote to all of them, to those who indicated they do not yet have funding and invited them to apply and asked them to write a letter explaining what they would like to do in the future when they have got their degree. How they see themselves bringing benefit to India in the future.”

Asked how the project will have a “transformational impact “on the lives of future leaders, Dr Prochaska said: “First of all we will identify those we think are future leaders through their applications. That is we’ve asked them to submit a personal statement which not only sets out their chosen course of study , but to say how they think it will equip them to respond to the challenges of sustainable development faced by India. And then to give an example that demonstrates their leadership and entrepreneurship potential. So we hope we are identifying people who see themselves as future leaders in whatever their chosen field of activity. And then we will give them a mix of mentoring and special seminars and, since it’s a small number of students in the first instance, we will be able to respond personally to their interests in developing their own leadership qualities.

“We want to select the finest students from India who want to come to Oxford, regardless of their financial means. They will be supervised by some of the best scientists in their respective fields in the world and this will make a huge difference to their opportunities in the future.” 

Honouring an icon

The Indian government has contributed Rs 25 crore for the Indira Gandhi Centre for Sustainable Development at Somerville College

India’s contribution will be matched by a similar sum from Oxford and help fund scholarships for postgraduate students from India to study at the centre

Indira Gandhi was an undergraduate student of history at Somerville College in 1937