Each year thousands of young people vie for a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship, which provides funding for postgraduate study at Oxford. In fall 2022, Columbia had five of its own selected for the 2023 cohort — a record for the University — three as part of the U.S. group, one for East Africa and one for China. Now, on the eve of their second year in the program, we invited the College's scholars to share their perspectives on the experience. The responses received have been edited for length and clarity.
Sophie Bryant CC’23
What are you studying?
I am an M.Phil. candidate in global and area studies, with a regional focus on China and Central Asia. The degree is interdisciplinary and interregional, foregrounded in the core assumption that borders are not static or discrete and that much can be gained from examining transnational processes to illuminate hidden networks of exchange and integration.
My current thesis investigates notions of “homeland” in contemporary Kazakh nationalism in the larger context of Chinese private and public sector investments in large-scale infrastructural and industrial projects. At its broadest, my research aims to contribute to the growing literature on how the relationship between technology, time and regime change shapes individual and collective subjectivity around built and natural environments. At its most intimate, it aims to trace what individual notions of “homeland” reveal about larger logics of territorial imaginaries.
What was a highlight from your first year in the program?
I write this after recently having an exceptional (and utterly unexpected) first visit to Kazakhstan. As an area studies student, my sympathies lie rather predictably with qualitative research’s emphasis on context, contingency and materiality. The cruel irony is that my past year, dedicated almost entirely to the study of Kazakhstan, went without having ever visited.
Hesitant to belabor this point, I will just say that the necessity of my visit became apparent only in retrospect. It is one matter to come to know a place through study, and of course, an entirely different matter to walk its streets, smell its air and bear its heat. This came into sharp relief when I attended a conference in Almaty that my thesis supervisor organized and afterward stayed for a week to audit his class on informational autocracies. Upon arriving, assumptions I derived from secondary materials (which began to ring qualitatively true from Oxford) could not have been more incongruent with reality — a destabilizing truth whose importance for my research agenda moving forward cannot be overdrawn.
What do you like to do outside of class?
I have been an Oxford student for nearly a year and still, with each stroll through the city, a new detail makes itself known — first an arch, then a boot scraper, then a grotesque, shadowed but always bending a careful ear.
I have delighted in the gardens and community most and find that I spend nearly all of my time outside — either at Uni Parks, Port Meadow or the Godstow Abbey ruins. One quickly becomes greedy for sunny days, as they are certainly a commodity in this country.
When my move to the United Kingdom was confirmed, I assumed I would dart off to Europe at every idle moment. I could not have been more mistaken. The English countryside, daily public lectures, concerts, evensongs and simple strolls about town are more than enough to tempt even the most jaded residents. Put simply, my time in Oxford is more than I could have ever hoped for.
What advice do you have for students who are considering applying?
In discussions of the Rhodes Scholarship, more often than not (especially in the U.S. context), prestige eclipses the actual implications of selection: two years at Oxford. While Rhodes offers thoughtful programming, immense resources and a stimulating community, you are first and foremost an Oxford student, and this should be something you want. When deciding whether to apply, I cannot overstate the importance of thoroughly researching Oxford academic life and your prospective degree program, as there is significant variation in both pedagogical approach and program structure between departments.
Another thing I wish I had internalized is that Rhodes can be an extraordinary academic inflection point if you want it to be. While fewer and fewer students are pursuing the traditional second B.A., no other post-graduate fellowship (that I know of) offers students an opportunity to pivot entirely to another subject.
Gloria Charité CC’23
What are you studying?
I am in the Department of Experimental Psychology; specifically, I am doing research on memory, investigating how the brain learns, stores and remembers information. I hope to contribute to bridging the gap between cognitive psychology and education — using contemporary knowledge on the functioning of memory systems to enrich classroom and learning experiences in general.
The question of why we remember certain things but forget others has always fascinated me. As early as the 10th grade at Gashora Girls Academy in Rwanda, I began documenting and categorizing the information I forgot during tests. I hoped that over time I would find a clear characterization of what I tended to forget and thus find a way to prevent it from happening. While I have yet to achieve this goal, something more exciting happened along the way, thanks to a lecture in the course “Science of Psychology” by Columbia professor Patricia Linderman. I learned that there are scientists, memory researchers, who spend their whole careers systematically unraveling this question. I felt indescribable joy. I had found my people!
Presently, I am in the Memory and Sleep Lab, where I work with Professor Bernhard Staresina to investigate physiological and neural mechanisms that facilitate memory processes using respiration measurements, eye tracking and electroencephalography.
What was a highlight from your first year in the program?
One highlight has been the rich social life, punctuated by many peculiar and ancient traditions. I did not anticipate that there would be so many social engagements, as typically, references to Oxford emphasize its academic pedigree. Hence, I was quite surprised at the number of activities that form an essential aspect of student life. These include matriculation ceremonies, formal dinners and annual balls.
A formal dinner is a three-course meal of exquisite dishes where students, fellows and guests, adorned in academic gowns and black tie, sit in Harry Potter-style dining halls and eat together. There are different seats, including a high table where distinguished guests and members of the college leadership sit. The assembly is silent upon the entry and exit of members of the high table, and the dinner starts and ends with banging a gavel and a reading of a Latin expression by the highest-ranking college official present.
That said, tutors often engage with students at pubs and most professors will insist that you call them by their first name. I was once invited to dinner by the warden of Rhodes House, Elizabeth Kiss. The warden effectively is the head of the Rhodes Trust, yet she invited several scholars into her home and cooked for us. This dinner showed how in an interesting way, despite the hierarchies that exist in Oxford, this characteristic need not define one’s experience.
This varied environment made it possible for me to have many happy new experiences, such as my first ball at Rhodes House. It was amazing to participate in an event that I had only seen in movies. I loved how carefree it was — I am normally self-conscious about dancing, but it is a testament to the community’s welcoming nature that I felt free in such a public setting. It was also a treat to meet actress Emma Watson at the ball. That’s Oxford for you!
What do you like to do outside of class?
If I am not in the lab, you will probably find me cooking. I live in a flat of seven people — six of whom are from different countries: France, the Netherlands, Germany, South Africa, Jamaica and Rwanda. We share the kitchen and learn a lot from each other, including what dishes are common in our countries and how we prepare food from our respective cultures. For example, I have learned how to make ratatouille, lasagna, loaded roasted potatoes, stir-fried bok choi, red lentil soup, red pea soup, plantains, and several meat and fish dishes despite being a vegetarian. Importantly, I’ve also finally learned to make “good” pasta. Prior to Oxford, my pasta would either be overcooked or undercooked.
With my remaining free time, I usually hang out with friends. I am fortunate to be at Lady Margaret Hall, one of the most beautiful colleges in Oxford. Our gardens are especially stunning, and the college is located next to the University Parks. I take Saturdays off to recharge, and when the weather is nice, I go to the gardens with friends for a picnic, punting or watching and feeding ducks.
What advice do you have for students who are considering applying?
One of the most ironic things about Rhodes Scholars is that almost every scholar you ask will tell you that they did not expect to be selected. We are people just like you, with our own fears and doubts. My advice to students who are planning to apply is BET ON YOURSELF! Importantly, most Columbians who are here would be happy to share insights and provide feedback during your application process. We are rooting for you!
Astrid Liden CC’23
What are you studying?
This past spring I completed a master’s in refugee and forced migration studies and will begin a master’s of public policy in late September. My thesis focused on temporary protection for Venezuelans in Colombia and the growing focus on the right to work and labor protections as motivations for this policy choice, while simultaneously bringing this discussion beyond Venezuela’s exodus to understand complementary pathways to protection.
I hope to continue to focus on protection for populations that fall outside of the official 1951 Refugee Convention definition, as well as integrate my passion for and interest in Catholic refugee and migration response. As the daughter of immigrants to the United States, and having family that had to leave Venezuela due to the humanitarian and political crisis, these issues are of both personal and global importance to me.
What was a highlight from your first year in the program?
One of the biggest was attending the Global Refugee Forum (GRF), hosted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva last December. I was a delegate with Oxford’s refugee-led Research Hub. At the GRF, I met professionals, academics, international and government leaders, and others working in refugee and forced migration response, which gave me an amazing look at the importance of local, national and international collaboration on these issues.
What do you like to do outside of class?
I row with the Magdalen College Boat Club. Rowing was an important part of my time during high school and is a quintessential part of the Oxford experience; I’ve loved getting back into it. Rowing at Summer Eights, the largest Oxford college-level regatta and an important tradition, in the Magdalen College Boat Club W1 boat was a highlight of my year.
I am also involved in Catholic student life, in particular with the Oxford University Catholic Chaplaincy. I’m part of the music ministry for Sunday Mass, and I’m very involved in chaplaincy events and community. For example, I led the Hilary term community meal, cooking arepas and other Venezuelan food for more than 100 Oxford community members (which brought back great memories of sharing similar experiences with Columbia Catholic Ministry). This year, I also worked with the Oxford Migration Studies Society, helping to run our annual academic conference on migration issues.
Finally, I am very involved in the Rhodes community, supporting and participating in initiatives such as Rhodes Christian Fellowship, planning the annual Rhodes Ball and helping to begin initiatives for scholars from minority communities, such as Latino Rhodes Scholars.
Is there something you’ve been surprised to learn about the Rhodes experience, now that you’re in it?
How unique everyone’s path has been, as well as how diverse the community is. There’s not one story, background, passion or interest that represents Rhodes. As Americans, many of us come either immediately or soon after undergrad, while this is not the case for other constituencies and countries. Some scholars come to Oxford as practicing doctors or lawyers from their home countries; others come with years of other work experience. It’s so important to realize: There is not just one type of Rhodes Scholar.
Also, we are lucky to have our own space, Rhodes House. When I arrived at Oxford, I was told that Rhodes Scholars were very lucky to have three communities to call home: our college, our department and the Rhodes community. We all come from such unique and interesting places — what we call “home,” in whatever way we see it — but we come together and have a strong community at Oxford. I will always be grateful for it.
Columbia College and Columbia Engineering students interested in learning more about scholarships and fellowships are encouraged to connect with Undergraduate Research and Fellowships.