Oxford University could soon open its doors to indigenous Australians.
Two talented Indigenous Australian students will be given the chance to study at Oxford University for up to three years in an announcement made by the Australian government earlier this week.
Julia Gillard, the Australian Minister for Education, has revealed a donation of $132,000 made by the government to the Charlie Perkins Trust for Children and Students. The Trust aims to support and encourage indigenous Australians to take up further education by offering scholarships and grants.
The Trust was named after Charlie Perkins, an Aboriginal man who was inspired by a football match he was playing against Oxford, to turn his back on professional football and return to Australia to attend university. When he graduated from the University of Sydney, he became the first Australian indigenous person to do so.
However no indigenous Australian has ever studied at Oxford University, something the Charlie Perkins Trust hopes to change. The money provided by the Rudd Government will cover living expenses, air fares and all tuition fees for the two students. The British Government and Rio Tinto will also provide funding for the Charlie Perkins scholarships.
It is hoped that the two students, who have yet to be selected, will be able to commence their studies in 2010/11. The Australian Government issued a statement saying that they hoped to close the gap between indigenous and non-indigenous Australian people in education.
Applications for the scholarships will be invited from Monday 16 November and will close on Friday 29 January 2010. For more information visit the Charlie Perkins website.
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