Monash South Africa student short listed for Mandela Rhodes scholarship

3 October 2007

Mohammed Kabiru Aliyu, a student at Monash South Africa, has been short listed for a Mandela Rhodes Scholarship.

A final year Bachelor of Business and Commerce student at Monash University’s South Africa campus, Mohammed Kabiru Aliyu, has been short listed for a Mandela Rhodes Scholarship.

The Mandela Rhodes Foundation has combined the legacy of leadership and reconciliation embodied by Nelson Mandela, and the 19th century legacy of education and entrepreneurship of Cecil John Rhodes.

The Mandela Rhodes Scholarship program seeks candidates who identify with the values of leadership, reconciliation, education and entrepreneurship.

Based on these guidelines, the University nominated three students: Naureen Khamisa, Natasha Khamisa and Mohammed Kabiru Aliyu. Of the three nominees, Mohammed Kabiru Aliyu, from Nigeria, has been short listed.

Final selection interviews will take place at the Mandela Rhodes Foundation in Cape Town during October.

For the final selection process the Foundation requested Mohammed Kabiru Aliyu to submit an essay on the topic: ' What do you see as your own purposes as a leader of the future, and what do the lives of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and Cecil John Rhodes mean to you in this context:'

Mohammed, who is currently Community Outreach Officer in the Monash South Africa Student Association, hopes to study towards an Honours degree next year and then continue studying towards a PhD.

Once he has completed his studies, Mohammed would like to gain international work experience and, in the long term, he hopes to have a leadership role in Africa.