The Jardine Scholarship is a full scholarship, primarily for undergraduates, offered by Jardine Matheson for study at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. It was established in 1982 to commemorate Jardines' 150th anniversary and was founded with the objective of "develop future leaders, who would give back to the societies in which operate". As of 2018, 293 Jardine Scholarships have been awarded across both universities.
The application process involves both interviews and tests. There are typically two rounds of interviews and two essays, the latter on the applicant's career aspirations and on a separately assigned topic. The final interview is with the Scholarship Committee, typically a panel of eight or more experts. Former chairmen of the Scholarship Committee include Duncan Robinson, Sir Ivor Roberts and Geoffrey Grimmett.
Selection criteria
The Jardine Foundation specifies four standards against which applicants are to be judged:
"personal qualities and character with particular regard to the extent to which the applicant has demonstrated exceptional qualities of leadership and fellowship";
"achievements in non-curricular activities, including sports";
"community involvement and activities"; and
"other attributes which, in the opinion of the Scholarship Committee, indicate that the applicant is likely to become an outstanding citizen with a high commitment to the performance of public duties and/or community involvement."
Terms of the Scholarship
The scholarship covers full tuition fees, college fees, an annual stipend, and return airfare from the students' country of origin. The scholarship has been valued at $200,000. Upon acceptance, scholars are bound by a set of regulations, decided by the Scholarship Committee. In addition to the financial coverage of the scholarship, Jardines also maintains the network of scholars and offers them summer internships within the conglomerate. It also hosts regular gatherings with alumni and senior management. Jardines' postgraduate scholarships are offered in partnership with the Cambridge Commonwealth, European & International Trust, a merger by two charities founded by the University of Cambridge, and Gadjah Mada University.
