The Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme was established in 2015 thanks to generous donations from multiple donors to mark the 95th birthday of Lord Weidenfeld. In June 2017, Trustee and Chairman André Hoffmann made an additional donation of £9m to the Trust which, thanks to matched funding of £6m from Oxford University, doubled the size of the Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme.
This scholarship is part of the Oxford Graduate Scholarships, which were established through a ground-breaking matched funding initiative to create fully-funded scholarships for graduate students of the highest calibre from across the world. The University contributes 40% of the funds for these scholarships, together with 60% from generous donations provided by supporters of the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust, including Fondation Hoffmann.
The Leadership Programme is a unique part of these scholarships, and over the course of a year scholars take part in philosophical discussions, learn business skills and receive communication training within a supportive community. More information on this can be found on the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust website.
The scholarship will cover 100% of course fees and a grant for living costs (of at least £20,780). Awards are made to cover the full duration of your fee liability for the agreed course.
In addition to the Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann Scholarship and Leadership Programme the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust also has a partnership with the Hualan Education Group and Chevening. The Hope Scholarships are also offered as part of the University’s Oxford Sanctuary Community’ for those with a displacement background. The scholarships also benefit from partnerships with multiple colleges where the college contributes a portion of the funding and therefore successful candidates will be transferred to one of the partner colleges when taking up the scholarship.
Decisions are expected to be made by the end of May 2026. If you have not heard from us by this time, then please assume that your application has been unsuccessful. Due to the volume of applications we receive, we regret that we are unable to contact unsuccessful applicants individually or provide feedback on applications.
The scholarships aim to support outstanding university graduates and professionals, mainly from developing and emerging economies, and who would not otherwise be able to support themselves to study at Oxford.
To be considered for the scholarship you must meet all of the criteria below. These will be assessed during the selection process, including using your graduate application form, your Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships Statement and (if relevant) your interview.
You must also be offered a place to study on a eligible course, as well as being ordinarily resident in one of the eligible countries.
In order to be considered for this scholarship, you must select the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme in the University of Oxford Scholarships section of the University’s graduate application form and submit your application for graduate study by the relevant December or January deadline for your course. See the relevant course page for the deadline applicable to your course.
You must also complete a Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships Statement and upload it, together with your graduate application form, by the deadline.
We will use the details you insert in the ‘Nationality and ordinary residence’ section of the graduate application form to assess your country of ordinary residence. For a definition of ordinary residency and further details on how to complete this section of the graduate application form, please see the Nationality and Ordinary residence sections of the graduate application form and the advice contained with the Application Guide.
To be eligible for consideration for this scholarship, applicants must be successful in being offered a place on their course after consideration of applications received by the relevant December or January deadline for the course. Course applications which are held over after the December or January deadline to be re-evaluated against applications received by the March deadline or course applications which have been put on a waiting list are not eligible for scholarship consideration.
If you are shortlisted for the scholarship, you will be required to participate in an interview, which is likely to be held online in April 2026.
All graduate students at the University of Oxford benefit from membership not only of their department, but also of one of our multi-disciplinary colleges. Applicants may select a preferred college as part of their application or leave the allocation of a college to the University. The Weidenfeld and Hoffmann scholarships and leadership programme benefit from partnerships with multiple colleges where the college contributes a portion of the scholarship and therefore successful candidates will be transferred to a partner college in order to take up the scholarship.
The Weidenfeld Hoffmann Trust has partnership awards with the Hualan Education Group and Chevening. Please note that the selection process for these scholarships is managed by the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust and their respective partners, and is not managed by the University of Oxford.
Candidates applying for the Oxford-Weidenfeld and Hoffmann Scholarships and leadership programme will automatically be considered for the Hualan Education Group partnership awards. The partnership award selection and interview process is run entirely by the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust and the University of Oxford is not involved in the selection process. For more information please visit the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust website or contact info@whtrust.org
Applications for the Chevening-Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships must be made via the Chevening website. To be considered as an award recipient, applicants must list the University of Oxford as their first preference university choice. Chevening-Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholars will also be subject to the terms and conditions of the Chevening Scholarship.
Please see below for our FAQ. The University of Oxford also has extensive information on frequently asked questions.
Please refer to the university’s Graduate Admissions website. You can learn more about the graduate courses offered by the university here. You can also search for courses by departments and divisions by clicking here.
The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme is only for select taught Master’s programme at the University of Oxford that are listed on this website. Please note that we do not support programmes (such as the DPhil) other than the ones listed on this website at this time.
Yes, the University of Oxford has a dedicated website for International Applicants. If you have any questions about international qualifications, please refer to this website. You can also write to your prospective departments if you have further questions.
In the first instance, please check the “Entry requirements” for your course page. If you have further questions, please reach out to your department administrator as they will be best placed to ascertain your eligibility.
Yes, you must demonstrate that you meet Oxford’s English language requirements. You can use the university’s English language proficiency self-evaluation tool for guidance. If you believe you might be entitled to a waiver, please see this website for more details.
The university application fee is currently set at £75 for taught master’s programmes. Residents of low-income countries and refugees and displaced persons can apply for a waiver in the online form. Please refer to Application Fee Waivers for more details.
If selected, we will pay your tuition fee and college fee. You will also receive a termly stipend paid directly into your bank account for the duration of your course (9 months or 12 months), including any summer projects or dissertations. The annual stipend is currently set at £20,780.
Please refer to this website for any VISA related queries: Visas and Immigration. For detailed information on applying for a student visa in the UK, please click here.
The Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme currently partners with seven Oxford colleges, which are: Keble, Lincoln, Mansfield, St Antony’s, St Edmund Hall, Trinity, and Worcester. If selected, you will be offered a place at one of these colleges.
Yes, you can apply for up to two taught master’s programmes. See this website for more details on application fee.
Please refer to “Entry requirements” on your course page. The university maintains this website for guidance on references.
Your course page should have all necessary information on deadlines for your course.
Unfortunately, as per UK government rules, you cannot bring your partner and/or dependants to the UK on your visa if you are reading for a taught master’s programme. As the Weidenfeld- Hoffmann Scholarships and Leadership Programme is only for taught master’s at Oxford, we are unable to support these VISAs for your partners and/or dependants. However, if you hold funding from an external body or a government body and are selected as a WHT scholar participating only in the Leadership Programme (no scholarship), you may be eligible to bring your partner and/or dependants. For further information, please click here.
The Leadership Programme is a complementary element of the WHT Scholarships providing approximately 160 hours of professional training, discussions and cultural activities throughout the academic year to prepare Scholars – intellectually, professionally and practically – to take on leading positions in their chosen careers. It will start before your course begins so you will be expected to travel to Oxford a few weeks before your course start date and it will likely after your course ends.
More details about the Leadership Programme can be found here.
If selected, we will contribute towards your pre-arrival costs such as VISA and travel.
Only in exceptional circumstances, if you already hold an offer from the university and WHT, we may be able to defer your place.
You can contact Graduate Admissions here or email us at info@whtrust.org.
Copyright 2025 Site. All rights reserved powered by Opportunities for Women
1
5
3
2.5