The New Zealand Vice-Chancellors Committee has announced the selection of three youngsters to receive Rhodes Scholarships 2012 to pursue higher studies at the Oxford University.
Following a meeting held at the Government House in Wellington on October 19, 2011, the Committee announced the selection of Andrew Dean, Max Harris and Briar Thompson as the candidates for the Scholarship next year.
Rhodes Scholarships constitute the pinnacle of achievement for university graduates keen on pursuing postgraduate studies at Oxford University.
A Canterbury University graduate (BA) in Arts with First Class Honours majoring in English Literature and Chinese, Andrew Dean would use the Scholarship to pursue a Master of Studies course in English, followed by a full doctoral programme. His special interests involve the works of Janet Frame, Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath.
A keen Cricketer, Andrew is currently working as a Programme Coordinator for the Children’s Programme run by the Safer Community Council in Ashburton, his hometown.
Briar Thompson is a former Waikato University student with a Bachelor of Communications Studies degree with Public Relations major.
At Oxford, she intends to obtain a postgraduate (MSc) degree in Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, followed by a postgraduate degree (MSc) in Global Governance and Diplomacy.
She evinces keen interest in migration, security and diplomacy issues relevant to the Pacific region.
Briar is a volunteer for Refugee Services in Hamilton.
Max Harris is a graduate of the University of Auckland, qualified as a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Honours). He intends to study for a Bachelor of Civil Law to obtain proficiency in legal theory, following which he is keen to become a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) on a topic that addresses the role of judges in modern democracies.
He is a keen debater and a qualified Cricketer. He is a registered umpire (Level 2) at Wellington Cricket.
