Louis Dreyfus-Weidenfeld Scholarships and Leadership Programme, University of Oxford, UK

Louis Dreyfus-Weidenfeld Scholarships and Leadership Programme

The Louis Dreyfus-Weidenfeld Scholarships and Leadership Programme supports outstanding postgraduate students from developing and emerging economies throughout Africa, Asia and South America.

The Louis Dreyfus Foundation aims to promote sustainable agriculture, food security and self-sufficiency, particularly through education and direct support to farmers, with a specific focus on developing countries in the above-mentioned regions.

One of the Foundation's goals is to address the challenge facing humanity to double global food production in a sustainable way in order to feed a rapidly growing population.

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.

You must be applying to start one of the following courses:

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.

The Louis Dreyfus-Weidenfeld Scholarships and Leadership Programme targets future leaders pursuing diverse careers with a focus on improving food security and sustainability. Successful applicants must demonstrate that, following their academic studies at Oxford, they are committed to serving the global community through their chosen field of work, including but not limited to: the agricultural industry, development areas, politics and/or law related to food security and/or sustainable agriculture, health care, environmental and water management, economic, public and foreign policy.

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. This scholarship seeks to support individuals who, following completion of their supported studies, will go on to actively engage in the chosen fields listed above.

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.

Videos of current scholars speaking about their experiences of the Weidenfeld Scholarships and Leadership Programme are available on the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust website. You can also read about the experiences of some of the current and recent recipients of the scholarship below.

'The Weidenfeld Scholarships and Leadership Programme has greatly enriched my experience of Oxford, without dictating to it. I have met and made friends with an amazing array of very talented people from all corners of the globe: I have found my fellow scholars intelligent, diverse, well-rounded and compassionately ambitious, with a strong conviction to changing the world in one way or another. Whilst the Weidenfeld Scholarships and Leadership Programme is incredibly generous, its real value exceeds its financial benefaction. As a Weidenfeld scholar one joins a community of driven, like-minded people who have together embarked on a life changing experience at one of the greatest universities in the world together.'

Matthew de la Hey, MSc African Studies, New College, recent Louis Dreyfus-Weidenfeld scholar

'The whole Weidenfeld experience has been completely life-changing for me. Academically and professionally it has broadened my horizons and definitely reinforced my will to become a very skilled human rights lawyer and return home and give back what I have learnt.'

Lucia Berro, Magister Juris, St Edmund Hall, recent Louis Dreyfus-Weidenfeld scholar

'The Weidenfeld Scholarship has changed my life: not only have I been exposed to an incredible, inspirational and influential network of people, but I now feel ready to make the impact which a privilege like this demands.'

Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh, MPhil International Relations, St Anne’s, recent Louis Dreyfus-Weidenfeld scholar

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 (8 or 22 January 2016). See the Courses page for the deadline applicable to your course.

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 hold a deferred offer to start in 2016-17 and wish to be considered for this scholarship, you must contact us and submit a Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships Questionnaire (see Related documents on this page) by 22 January 2016.

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.

Louis Dreyfus-Weidenfeld Scholarships and Leadership Programme, University of Oxford, UK