Asmer Safi and Iman Iftikhar, two outstanding Lahore students, have been awarded Pakistan’s coveted Rhodes Scholarships for this year. In Pakistan, the Rhodes Scholarship is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
In October 2024, the Scholars will travel to Oxford University to join a group of 105 scholars from around the globe. They will pursue fully funded post-graduate education and integrate into a vibrant community of individuals committed to changing the world.
Worldwide applicants are welcome to apply for a Rhodes Scholarship, and many find that participating in our selective process is an incredibly rewarding experience that positions them for future Rhodes Scholarships or other global possibilities.
The Rhodes Trust selection process selects young people who have demonstrated academic excellence and who also exhibit extraordinary character, leadership, the drive to fully utilize their abilities, and a dedication to addressing the problems facing humanity.
An important turning point for the Rhodes Scholarship program and all upcoming Pakistani applicants is the program’s 75th anniversary in Pakistan. It stands for the Rhodes Trust’s dedication to fostering gifted Pakistani students and making sure that Pakistanis are represented in international society.
Bringing together a diverse group of individuals from all walks of life, Rhodes Scholars form a lifelong network dedicated to making a positive impact on the world. Pakistani academics have gone on to work in fields like politics and business.
The winners of this year carry on the wonderful tradition of scholarship and distinction.
Asmer Safi:
Asmer Asrar Safi is a senior at Harvard University who studies the intellectual histories of South Asian Marxist and Islamic political philosophy. He actively participates in projects like the Palestine Solidarity Committee and led the 2020 Harvard Pakistan Forum in his capacity as Co-President of the Signet Society. Asmer is interested in many forms of art, especially the music of South Asia. His goal at Oxford is to investigate how progressive political message becomes popular throughout South Asia.
Iman Iftikhar:
A Lahori historian and artist, Iman Iftikhar attended Yale for her undergraduate studies in philosophy and history. Her areas of interest are the ethics of violence and the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement. She speaks English, Urdu, Punjabi, Arabic, and German with ease. Iman is an oil painter and weaver who is dedicated to teaching. Her varied academic interests are reflected in her ambitions to study political theory or history at Oxford.
The applications for the 2025 Rhodes Scholarships will open in June 2024. More information about the Scholarship application can be found at: https://www.rhodeshouse.ox.ac.uk/scholarships/the-rhodes-scholarship/
