In a landmark philanthropic initiative for higher education, renowned Afghan women’s education advocate and School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) co-founder Shabana Basij-Rasikh has announced a $2.5 million endowment to the University of Oxford’s Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust.
The newly established permanent fund will sponsor a fully funded master’s degree and leadership development program annually for a first- or second-generation Afghan woman. The comprehensive scholarship covers 100% of course tuition fees, living expenses, stipends for accommodation, and pre-travel grants.
Basij-Rasikh, an alumna of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government where she completed her Master in Public Policy through the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann program in 2019–2020, emphasized that the initiative is designed to provide structural tools rather than temporary charity.
“This is what we’ve always wanted; not out of pity or condescension from others, but simply to access the opportunities and tools to build our own futures and successes,” Basij-Rasikh stated. “At Oxford, an Afghan woman leader’s journey will begin. Another Afghan woman will come the following year, and it will continue, year after year, woman after woman.”
University of Oxford officials noted that the endowment aligns with broader institutional efforts to expand graduate access for talented students from conflict-affected, displaced, and under-represented backgrounds. Leadership from the Weidenfeld-Hoffmann Trust commended the historic contribution, highlighting its role in equipping future Afghan change-makers with the professional networks and academic credentials necessary to impact public life.