ABU DHABI, 26th November, 2024 (WAM) -- Two outstanding students in the UAE have been awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship after the UAE Rhodes Scholarship Selection Committee announced Alya Alhabtari and Firas Darwish as winners.
They were chosen based on criteria that included their ambition for impact and courage to act, alongside achievements that reflect their exceptional intellect, character, leadership and commitment to service.
The two recipients will join a cohort of other scholars and aspiring changemakers from around the world who will commence an academic year at the University of Oxford in October 2025.
Applying for the Rhodes Scholarship is a rigorous process that involves personal statements, academic transcripts, and interviews with top-performing candidates from leading universities across the UAE.
This year, 11 finalists were shortlisted from a very competitive field. The two winners were announced after the final round of interviews with the Selection Committee.
Alya Alhabtari hopes to pursue an MSc in Global Governance and Diplomacy and a Master's in Public Policy, which would prepare her to help advance the UAE's foreign aid strategies.
Firas Darwish intends to pursue an MSc in Advanced Computer Science and a Master's in Public Policy, which would empower him to contribute to the global discussion of AI governance to sharpen data privacy laws and target bias in AI. Both recipients are current students at New York University Abu Dhabi.
Last year, the winners were Emirati student Sara Alnajjar and her Bulgarian counterpart, Monika Mitova, who were both students at NYU Abu Dhabi.