Secretary's Message
Merton is one of the oldest colleges in Oxford, founded in 1264.June 15, 2009
Welcome to the Canadian website for the Rhodes Scholarship Trust.
For more than a century, the Rhodes Trust has funded scholarships for exceptional Canadian students to study for two or more years at the University of Oxford. The Rhodes Scholarships have come to be recognized as one of the highest honours available to any student, but they represent much more than an academic award.
The Rhodes Scholarship requires that the candidate be a well-rounded individual, having shown not only academic excellence, but also active engagement in their community and evidence of a strong commitment to leadership in improving the state of the world.
The scholarship also requires evidence of physical vitality, whether in sports, theatre, music or other pursuits. It is this multifaceted approach, combined with the opportunity to meet similarly exceptional students at Oxford, which has defined the scholarship as the beginning of a life long commitment to community service, and a demonstration of willingness to make use of academic credentials to improve the state of our society.
While at Oxford, students find that they are immersed in a vital academic culture, with numerous opportunities to broaden their horizons and learn to engage in the world in a meaningful fashion. The scholarship provides two or more years of fully funded graduate or undergraduate education at the University of Oxford, along with a living allowance and transportation to and from the scholar's place of residence.
But the remarkable part about the scholarship is not the funding or the academic training - it is the opportunity to meet and work with extraordinary people while completing a first quality education in a dynamic international environment.
We welcome your applications, and wish you the best as you pursue your goals.
Andrew Wilkinson
Canadian National Secretary
Rhodes Scholarship Trust
Andrew Wilkinson
Canadian National SecretaryRhodes Scholarship Trust
Andrew Wilkinson began his services as Canadian National Secretary for the Rhodes Scholarship Trust in early 2009. His own experience with the Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford's Magdalen College allowed him an unequalled opportunity to take a break from his medical education and pursue studies in law. Having completed his law degree at Oxford, he returned to Canada to complete medical school and practice medicine while completing a further Canadian law degree.
He was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1988, and practiced law for 13 years before moving to the Government of British Columbia as a Deputy Minister in 2001.
He returned to the private sector in 2006, and is now a partner at McCarthy Tetrault LLP. He is actively involved in federal and provincial politics, fundraising for the Arts Umbrella children's art program, and working toward the renovation of the old Vancouver Courthouse. He lives in Vancouver with his wife Barbara and their three children.
