Rhodes Scholarships awarded to Individuals from Syria and Gaza for the second year of the Middle East in historic launch

The Rhodes Scholarships for Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine (SJLP) have been awarded to two candidates from the Middle East for the second year of their launch. The selection committee which includes notable academics, practitioners and leaders of industry from the region,  chose two outstanding individuals: Alexey Youssef and Bahaa Attaallah.

Hundreds of individuals submitted applications, which selectors reviewed in three rounds culminating in final interviews over the past three weekends in Oxford, Amman and New York. The selectors were deeply impressed by the drive and calibre of all applicants and particularly the commitment of the selected Scholars to serving their home countries. The Scholars-Elect will begin their studies at Oxford in the autumn of 2018.

The two new Scholarships for the Middle East region were launched in May 2016, in partnership with the Saïd Foundation. They have been enabled by the leadership and generosity of the Saïd Foundation, and through matched funding from the University of Oxford and selected colleges. News about this launch can be found here.

The applications for the next round of admission for Rhodes for SJLP open in May 2018. More information will be found here.

Biographies of the Scholars-Elect

Bahaa Attaallah is a Palestinian medical doctor and an honors graduate of Al-Quds University. During his time as a student, Bahaa served as Secretary General of the International Federation of Medical Students Association, organizing courses and campaigns on behalf of students and the local community. Bahaa has worked in Gaza with UNRWA, UNICEF, World Vision and Al-Sharq International forum. Building on his civic engagement and experience as a medical doctor during the war, Bahaa has been committed to promoting comprehensive mental health service provision and is passionate about evidence-based research guiding public opinion and medical practice. He is currently enrolled in an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience at Durham University and hopes to pursue the DPhil in Clinical Neuroscience at Oxford. In his spare time, Bahaa practices Karate, enjoys creative writing and has published short stories and poems in both English and Arabic. 

Alexey Youssef is a senior medical student at Tishreen University in Latakia, Syria. In spite of the dangerous conditions during the war, Alexey has been committed to furthering medical research and practice in his community. He organized his fellow medical students to join the International Federation of Medical Students Associations, campaigned for patient safety and hand hygiene in Tishreen Hospital and has collaborated with international scientists to cofound and run the first Syrian Cancer Biobank. When not at the hospital or in the lab, Alexey enjoys camping, hiking and bodybuilding. Alexey is passionate about the applications of medical technologies and their potential in serving under-resourced areas. In Oxford, he aspires to pursue a MSc in International Health followed by an MBA, developing a comprehensive skill set to lead innovative and inclusive systems-based approaches to rebuilding the healthcare sector in Syria

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Notes to Editors 

The Rhodes Trust, based at the University of Oxford, brings together and develops exceptional people from all over the world, in all fields of study, who are impatient with the way things are and have the courage to act. Established in 1903, the Rhodes Scholarship is the oldest and perhaps the most prestigious international graduate scholarship programme in the world.  Nearly 8,000 Rhodes Scholars have gone on to serve at the forefront of government, the professions, commerce, the arts, education, research and other domains. They are well known advocates for expanded social justice, and have advanced the frontiers of science and medicine. The Rhodes Trust provides the existing Rhodes Scholarships in partnership with its Second Century Founders, John McCall MacBain, The Atlantic Philanthropies, and many other generous benefactors.