Two Pakistan Rhodes winners set for Oxford in October 2027
Hafsa Qureshi and Rafia Imran secured places after a national contest where applications more than doubled and fewer than one in a hundred were chosen.
Hafsa Qureshi (COMSATS Islamabad) and Rafia Imran (LUMS) won Rhodes Scholarships for postgraduate study at Oxford.
They plan Genomic Medicine and Social Data Science respectively, starting October 2027 with more than 100 peers worldwide.
Applications for the Pakistan pathway more than doubled; the selection rate was under 1%.
Ten finalists from five universities reached interviews before a panel of academics and public leaders.
Prof Ali Cheema urged wider access so strong candidates from all backgrounds can compete.