News Desk
ISLAMABAD: Two Pakistani students, Hafsa Qureshi of COMSATS University Islamabad and Rafia Imran of Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), have been awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarships for 2027, securing an opportunity to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Hafsa Qureshi plans to pursue graduate studies in Genomic Medicine, while Rafia Imran will study Social Data Science. The two scholars will join more than 100 Rhodes Scholars from across the world at Oxford in October 2027, becoming part of an international community committed to creating positive change through leadership, knowledge and service.
The scholars were selected from an exceptionally competitive and diverse pool of outstanding Pakistani students studying at universities both within the country and abroad. Applications for this year’s scholarships more than doubled, with a selection rate of less than one per cent, making the competition one of the most selective scholarship programmes in Pakistan.
Ten finalists from Adelphi University, Bard College, COMSATS University, LUMS and Quaid-i-Azam University advanced to the interview stage following a rigorous assessment process. The candidates were interviewed by a selection committee comprising distinguished academics and leaders from various professional fields.
Professor Ali Cheema, National Secretary for the Rhodes Scholarships in Pakistan, said the exceptional quality and diversity of this year’s applicants reflected the depth of talent among young Pakistanis.
He particularly welcomed the sharp increase in applications, noting that the key challenge was to ensure talented students from every background and educational institution had equal opportunities to compete for the prestigious scholarship.
Recent Pakistani recipients of Rhodes Scholarships have included graduates of internationally recognised institutions such as Harvard University, LUMS, New York University Abu Dhabi, the University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Lahore, Wellesley College and Yale University.
The achievement of Hafsa Qureshi and Rafia Imran highlights the growing academic potential of Pakistani youth and their increasing representation in leading international academic institutions.