Eni, Oxford partner on scholarships

By Emeka Ugwuanyi

Italian oil firm Eni and Saïd Business School, University of Oxford have sealed a deal on the award of 10 new MBA scholarships to strengthen the future of business leadership in Africa.

Oxford Saïd leads the way in MBA recruitment from Africa, with 13 per cent of this year’s cohort coming from the continent, spanning 12 African countries. Out of the African MBA students at Oxford, 56 per son are women.

The Eni-Oxford Africa Scholarship will cover MBA course fees, a living expenses stipend and one return air fare. Two places will be available for the 2020-21 academic year, and the remaining eight places will be opened later.

Candidates for the Eni-Oxford Africa Scholarship must be resident in one of the African countries in which Eni operates: Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, South Africa and Tunisia.

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Eni has also announced support for three DPhils at Oxford Saïd, the first of which will start in September 2021. Preference for these will be given to candidates with an African nationality.

There are about 200million young people, aged between 15 and 24, in Africa. This makes it the world’s youngest continent, representing both a challenge and opportunity for policymakers.

The school’s aim is to help businesses grasp the opportunities of Africa’s favourable demographics by supporting the education of talented African students. These students are able to make valuable pan-African and international connections while at Oxford.

Oxford Saïd has embedded Africa-focused activities into its MBA curriculum and co-curriculum, including case studies and Africa business electives, as well as hosting senior African government ministers and business people.

Inspired by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Eni contributes to SDG targets by focusing on youth employment, agriculture value chains and renewable energy and energy efficiency, particularly in Africa.