We are very happy to share that Zhou Xiaorui (History + Middle Eastern Studies + USP, Class of 2020) has been named a Rhodes Scholar. The Rhodes Scholarship is one of the oldest and most prestigious international scholarship programmes, and it enables outstanding young people from around the world to study at the University of Oxford in England. Xiaorui, who is on the NUS-Sciences Po Double Degree Programme, is the first USP student to receive this scholarship and one of only four Rhodes (China) scholars selected this year. Xiaorui had spent her first two undergraduate years in Sciences Po at Menton, France, and when she graduates from NUS next year, she will embark on two Master programmes in Oxford — a Master in Science in Contemporary Chinese Studies and a Master of Studies in Women’s Studies.

NUS News carries a story on Xiaorui’s achievements, in which you can learn more about her and the Rhodes Scholarship. Separately, we caught up with Xiaorui to ask about her motivation for applying for this coveted scholarship.

 “To be very honest, my first concern was financial, as I needed a scholarship to continue my postgraduate studies, with Oxford being one of the places shining with funding opportunities. But as I learnt more about the Rhodes scholarship programme, I became increasingly determined that I must try for it, for the very values that it holds dear – truth, courage, and sympathy.”

Being a history major, she shared with us that, “I do not believe in the simple morality tale of ‘villains vis-à-vis victims’ that we sometimes fall into while narrating our history, and I want to explore the complicated yet contentious subject of structure-versus-agency within a historical context.” With two years in Oxford, possibly followed by doctoral studies afterwards, she hopes to hone her research skills in the overlapping fields of modern Chinese history and gender studies, in order to document modern China’s past from the vantage point of small localities. She added, “Ultimately, my humble yet ambitious goal is to try to translate the multitudes of lived experiences into words, so as to serve my community, both in China and in Singapore, as a historian-educator.”

Xiaorui is very grateful for her international exposure made possible by the NUS-Sciences Po Double Degree Programme administered by USP. Her last three semesters here at USP has also impacted her learning journey very much. In particular, she credits USP professors for opening her mind. She shared, “I have encountered so many brilliant professors at USP in and outside of the classroom, who have oriented me to new perspectives and pushed me out of my comfort zone. A/P Barbara Ryan, with her impressive command of literature, ingeniousness in pedagogy, and clarity in feedback, has taken such great care of me in my USP journey, encouraging and supporting me over the course of my semester-long [Rhodes scholarship] application. A/P Lo Mun Hou has kindly allowed me to audit his module, “USP3501: The Problematic Concept of Gender”, and is an exemplary educator-in-action who always tends to my long-winded queries. Dr Leung Wing Sze has shown me the essentials of writing since the very first day I arrived at NUS, as an odd Year 3 student in a Writing and Critical Thinking (WCT) class. A/P Loy Hui Chieh, for whom I work as a research assistant, has kindly granted me the opportunity to research on philosophy-related subjects although I am trained in history – displaying the multidisciplinary nature of USP.”

We hope Xiaorui enjoy her last semester with USP and NUS. Catch her around the Cinnamon College (USP) to learn more about her Rhodes application. We can find inspiration in Xiaorui, in pursuing our dream with courage and determination.