Oxford University has announced the launch of a new scholarship to support Indian students studying law at the world-famous institution.
The scholarship at Somerville College has been set up in memory of Cornelia Sorabji, the first female law student at Somerville, the first Indian woman to study at any British university back in 1889, and also the first woman to practice law in India and Britain. The college is celebrating her 150th birth anniversary this year. On her return to her home country, Cornelia Sorabji became the first woman to practice law in India and worked on behalf of women living in purdah. Her lifetime’s work as a social reformer centred on support for the poor and for women at every level of society.
The scholarship will cover up to 50% of the entire cost of the degree, which is usually around £36,000 including tuition fees and lodging.
The first awardee of the Cornelia Sorabji Scholarship in Law, Divya Sharma from Chandigarh, who is taking up her Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) degree.
Prof Alice Prochaska, principal of Somerville College said, "Cornelia Sorabji was a woman of tremendous spirit and courage and someone who paved the way for many Indian students, including (former Prime Minister) Indira Gandhi at Somerville. India is a key part of our college and this scholarship will pave the way for more graduates to follow in their footsteps.”
The college is now campaigning for it to eventually become a fully-funded endowment to support bright Indian students who often win admission to Oxford University but are unable to bear the high costs associated with it. To be successful, the applicant will be expected to demonstrate not only exceptional academic merit but also a commitment ultimately to return to India to put their skills and experience into practice.
While the scholarship is open to any high achieving Indian student, female students will be especially encouraged to carry on Sorabji's ideals. The finalist is chosen by the college from a list of Indians offered admission to the university and on the basis of a 500-word essay on how they plan to make use of the Oxford law degree in their professional life.
The initiative is backed by Dr Kusoom Vadgama, historian and editor of 'An Indian Portia: Selected Writings of Cornelia Sorabji'.
The Cornelia Sorabji Law Programme is housed at the Oxford India Centre and provides a thriving postgraduate and postdoctoral programme for talented Indian graduate students who seek to lead change on their return to India. The holder of the scholarship will belong to the Faculty of Law and the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development at Somerville College.
The Centre was established three years ago as a result of a grant of 3 million pounds from the Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development, matched by Somerville College and the University of Oxford.
It offers five permanently endowed scholarships for Indian graduate students and six students have already benefitted from those scholarships since they started in 2013.
From its inception in 1879, Somerville College, founded as one of the first two institutions at the University of Oxford to admit women, had been dedicated to inclusion, explicitly welcoming students from all social backgrounds, any kind of cultural and religious beliefs, and all nationalities. Cornelia Sorabji actually came to Oxford with the help of a subscription raised by progressive British men and women including Madeleine Shaw Lefevre, the first Principal of Somerville.
