Two scholarships:
BACKGROUND
These scholarships were established in 2023, to replace the Edward Gibbon Wakefield Doctoral Scholarship. It is endowed by the late Mrs Priscilla Wakefield Mitchell of Totnes, Devon, in memory of her great-great-uncle Edward Gibbon Wakefield and his three brothers, all of whom inspired the founding of various New Zealand provinces. The scholarship is also dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Mitchell’s grandfather, Charles Marcus Wakefield, the distinguished diarist, who surveyed so much of early Waitaha | Canterbury; and lastly to the memory of her brother Edward Roger Wakefield, who was killed in action in the Balkans in World War II while serving with the Commandos. Roger Wakefield was a graduate of Christ Church, Oxford.
VALUE
See individual scholarship Regulations for specific details - both scholarships offer cover for course fees and living costs (ideally with 'preferred college' Christ Church, Oxford, United Kingdom. Christ Church, Oxford, as one of the most renowned of Oxford's 39 colleges and Christchurch, NZ, is named after the college).
CRITERIA
Applicants for the scholarships must ordinarily be resident in New Zealand:
- Applicants must be:
- graduates of Te Whare Wānanga | University of Canterbury of no more than two years’ standing; or
- eligible to graduate from Te Whare Wānanga | University of Canterbury.
(To be eligible for the Wakefield - Ngāi Tahu University of Canterbury Scholarship, applicants must also whakapapa Ngāi Tuahuriri.)
APPLICATION PROCESS
Applicants must first apply to the University of Oxford for a place to read for one of the University's One Year Master's Course Degrees and must choose ‘Christ Church, Oxford’ as their preferred college. The recipient is limited to studying for one of the master's course degrees offered by Christ Church, Oxford. (See scholarship Regulations for details of available courses)
Applicants can then apply for these Wakefield scholarship online at the website of the Scholarships Office of Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury by 16 December.
Any successful application by a UC graduate to the University of Oxford for a place to study for the University's One Year Master's Course Degree with Christ Church, Oxford, as 'preferred college', will automatically be forwarded to Christ Church, Oxford.
SELECTION
In making the recommendation, the selection committee gives equal consideration to:
- academic achievement;
- proposed studies at and acceptance into Oxford
For the Christ Church Oxford Wakefield Graduate Scholarship:
Since the endowment for this Wakefield scholarship belongs to the college, Christ Church, Oxford, it is the college which awards the scholarship. At Christ Church, Oxford, a selection committee comprising the Tutor for Graduates and two other tutors will review the application of any/or each successful applicant (see 3.3), and then will recommend to the Governing Body of Christ Church, Oxford, that it confirm the scholarship to the successful applicant or to ONE of the successful applicants.
For the Wakefield - Ngāi Tahu University of Canterbury Scholarship:
The scholarship is awarded by Te Kaunihera | Council of Te Whare Wānanga | University of Canterbury on the recommendation of a selection committee comprising:
- the Upoko (Ngāi Tuahuriri ) | Vice-Chancellor
- the Pou Whakarae Ngāi Tahu Centre (or nominee); and
- a representative of the Wakefield Trust.
Although this scholarship, to all intents and purposes, is linked solely to the college, Christ Church, Oxford, should there be an unforeseen circumstance in which Christ Church, Oxford, is unable to offer 'a place' in its college to a successful candidate, The University of Oxford guarantees to arrange association with another Oxford college for the successful candidate.
