Two Pakistani students have won the Rhodes Scholarships for Pakistan for 2027, the country’s two places in the world’s oldest and most famous international scholarship programme. Hafsa Qureshi of COMSATS University Islamabad and Rafia Imran of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) were announced as this year’s scholars by the Rhodes Trust. Both will travel to the University of Oxford in October 2027 to begin fully funded postgraduate studies, joining a global class of more than 100 new Rhodes Scholars.
Meet the two winners of the Rhodes Scholarships for Pakistan
Hafsa Qureshi, from COMSATS University Islamabad, plans to study Genomic Medicine at Oxford, a field that uses genetic data to understand disease and design better treatments. Rafia Imran, from LUMS, will study Social Data Science, which applies data methods to questions about society, policy and development. Their names already appear in the Rhodes Trust’s official scholar directory for the class of 2027, listed under the Pakistan constituency.
The pair were chosen from what the Trust describes as an exceptionally competitive and diverse pool of the most accomplished Pakistani students, studying at universities in Pakistan and abroad. Ten finalists reached the interview stage under the Pakistan selection committee, chaired by National Secretary Professor Ali Cheema. For two students from two different Pakistani universities, one in Islamabad and one in Lahore, to take both of the year’s places underlines how widely the country’s top talent is now spread.
Photo: Julian Herzog via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
A selection rate of less than 1 percent
The Rhodes Scholarships for Pakistan are among the hardest academic prizes in the country to win. Applications more than doubled this year, and the selection rate fell below 1 percent, making this one of the most selective scholarship competitions in Pakistan. The Pakistan constituency offers exactly two scholarships each year. The first Rhodes Scholar from Pakistan took up residence at Oxford in 1951, and since then more than 70 Pakistani citizens have received the award.
For the 2027 round, applications opened on 1 June 2026 and closed on 5 August 2026. Candidates must be Pakistani citizens who will complete an undergraduate degree by July 2027, with grades that meet or exceed the entry requirements of their chosen Oxford course. The scholarship funds the full cost of postgraduate study at Oxford, covering one year master’s degrees, two year research master’s programmes, and doctoral study for those admitted to it.
What happens next for the scholars
Winning the scholarship is the beginning, not the end, of the Oxford journey. Scholars elect, as the Trust calls them, must now apply for their chosen courses through the University of Oxford’s own graduate admissions, with support from the team at Rhodes House in Oxford. Hafsa Qureshi’s proposed field, Genomic Medicine, sits at the meeting point of genetics, data and clinical care, while Rafia Imran’s Social Data Science is taught through the Oxford Internet Institute’s work on data and society. Both are expected to take up residence in Oxford in October 2027, joining more than 100 scholars elected this year from constituencies around the world, from the United States and India to southern Africa and the Caribbean.
The Pakistan scholarship is run in partnership between the Rhodes Trust and its Second Century Founder, John McCall MacBain, whose support sustains the constituency’s two annual places. Selection panels look for more than examination marks: the Rhodes criteria ask for academic excellence alongside energy to use talents fully, integrity of character, and the instincts to lead and to serve. It is a demanding mix, and it explains why the list of Pakistani scholars since 1951 includes figures who went on to lead universities, courts, companies and public institutions.
Why this scholarship carries such weight
The Rhodes Scholarship, founded in 1902, is the oldest international scholarship programme in the world. Scholars are selected not only for academic excellence but also for character, leadership and commitment to service, and alumni include heads of government, judges, scientists and writers across many countries. For Pakistan, each year’s pair of scholars becomes part of a network that has shaped public life for more than seven decades.
Hafsa Qureshi and Rafia Imran also continue a season of striking results for Pakistani students abroad. Earlier this year, Pakistani candidates took nine global prizes in ACCA examinations, a run we reported in Pakistani Students Top ACCA Exams, and British Council scholarship winners have added to the tally. Our Pakistani Students and Scholars page tracks these results, and the story of the Rhodes Scholarships for Pakistan sits at the very top of that list for prestige. The next application round for Pakistani candidates opens in June 2027, and students aiming for it can read the full eligibility rules on the Rhodes Trust website.
Sources
- The Rhodes Scholarships for Pakistan, Rhodes Trust
- Two students win Rhodes Scholarships, The News International
- Two Pakistani students win prestigious Rhodes Scholarships for 2027, Bloom Pakistan
- Photo: Julian Herzog via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Umar is an engineer by profession and a passionate writer by passion. He has a deep interest in sharing good news related to Pakistan and has been working hard to promote the positive image of his homeland. Umar has written numerous articles on various topics related to Pakistan, such as technology, sports, culture, and economy.