Our Graduate Development Scholars
St Anne’s is committed to developing its graduate scholars as the next generation of university teachers. These scholarships offer doctoral students opportunities to teach undergraduates. Here, some of our current Graduate Development Scholarships explain what the opportunity means to them.
Elle, DPhil Computer Science (2020)
“It’d be cliché to cite Oxford as one of the top graduate programmes or to say that St. Anne’s has a supportive community and world-class fellows. All that – and more – are true, but I was drawn to not only the academic rigour but also the academic freedom. The courses here are intense, but your resulting degree is the fruit of impactful work that you personally chose to pursue. The Graduate Development Scholarship, first and foremost, made it financially possible for me to pursue a graduate degree. It eased my concern of not knowing how to cover my living expenses, which has saved me considerable mental burden and energy that I can now devote to my studies. Moreover, it gave me access to a network of caring and invested professors. It also helped me deepen my teaching experience."
Chiara, DPhil Philosophy (2016)
“The BPhil is an amazing and very peculiar degree, which is only offered at Oxford. Being a two-years research masters, it allows students the possibility to really explore the field and find out what they like to do. At Oxford I found a very welcoming and supportive community, which allowed me to flourish as an independent researcher; deciding to stay and progress to the DPhil was an almost automatic choice. St Anne's provides a perfect place and environment where to study and do research. The atmosphere is relaxed and supportive, and I am really enjoying being part of the MCR. Teaching is for me an essential part of the DPhil. Being in contact with students is very challenging and interesting, and it is very rewarding. The tutorial format is great, because it really allows one to tailor the sessions to the interests and specificities of the students: one never knows in advance where the discussion will end!"
Lillian, DPhil in Modern Languages (French), (2019)
"I joined St Anne's this academic year but moved from Australia to Oxford to begin my PhD in late 2019. The opportunity to learn under, and be guided by, world-renowned experts in my field was a huge motivation for me. Both St Anne's and the university more broadly have provided such a stimulating and enriching intellectual milieu, but of course I cannot deny that the chance to live and work in such a magical and historical city was also an influential factor. St Anne's is truly a welcoming community, and the return to in-person teaching this year has highlighted that; there is a very real sense of camaraderie amongst colleagues and students. I enjoy working in the spacious and well-resourced libraries, and the dining facilities aren't bad either! It is, however, rather overwhelming trying to choose from the wealth of talks and events on offer each week! The scholarship has not only relieved financial pressure, allowing me to concentrate on my studies and present at two international conferences this year, but it has also provided an invaluable insight into the world of academia, giving me a realistic taste of what it's like to balance research and teaching. The range of teaching and administrative opportunities it has provided, such as helping with Admissions interviews, have served to greatly enhance my professional development too."
Joyce, Medicine (2016)
"Oxford is one of the best Universities in the world and is particularly renowned for its research so I was drawn to the opportunity to undertake my own research project as part of the Medicine course. I was also excited by the prospect of belonging to a smaller college within the University and the unique experience of being taught in smaller tutorial groups. It feels full circle to be able to teach at St Anne's and has been a really rewarding experience. It has given me the opportunity to develop my teaching and I hope my students have been able to learn as much as I have enjoyed teaching them. I have also been able to get to know, support and reassure the students that no matter how challenging the degree can seem at times, that they will make it through. The cost of living in Oxford is high so the scholarship has helped me significantly in allowing me to pay for rent and other living expenses."
Noam, DPhil Environmental Research (2019)
"I first joined Oxford as an undergraduate back in 2015 to study Earth Sciences. Oxford has one of the most exciting and comprehensive Earth Sciences courses in the world so applying here was a given. I visited St. Anne's on a whim at the open day, and ended up applying there because I was impressed with how friendly, down-to-earth and unstuffy the college was. Of course, 4 years later when I applied for my DPhil, it was a no-brainer that I would stay at St. Anne's! Whilst studying Earth Sciences here as an undergraduate, I developed a particular interest in oceanography. On a fourth-year field trip to Bermuda, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of their coral reefs and pretty much immediately knew that I wanted to do a DPhil related to corals. After much reading, discussion and a summer research project in Japan, I came up with a research project combining my interest in corals and my background in ocean modelling, and that's what I'm doing now. I have tutored a broad range of topics to our Earth Sciences undergraduates, including mathematics, scientific writing, physical oceanography, climate, programming, and numerical modelling - most of which I would not have been able to try out without the GDS."