Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]
VICTORIA Mudyanembwa, a brilliant young mind from the rural heartland of Lukosi, Hwange, has achieved a remarkable feat.
The University of Zimbabwe graduate, who recently earned a First-Class Honours degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, has been awarded the prestigious Rhodes scholarship.
Mudyanembwa, the inaugural president of the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Society of Zimbabwe, is set to embark on an extraordinary journey. She will join a cohort of exceptional scholars from around the world at a prestigious university in the United Kingdom.
This esteemed scholarship is poised to elevate her academic career to new heights. Earlier this year, she graduated with a first-class degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Zimbabwe, earning a book prize for her outstanding achievement.
In 2018, Mudyanembwa earned the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Scholarship. She will be heading to the University of Oxford in September next year to join a cohort of more than 100 scholars from across the globe, undertaking postgraduate studies on a full scholarship.
In a statement, the Rhodes Scholarship National Secretary of Zimbabwe, Dalumuzi Mhlanga, confirmed Mudyanembwa’s selection, noting that she joins an elite group of Zimbabweans who have benefited from the same scholarship. Mr Mhlanga highlighted that she overcame stiff competition to secure the only slot available.
“When the committee meets every year to select Rhodes Scholars, we are always amazed by the abundance of bright, driven, and capable young people in Zimbabwe. While two Rhodes Scholarships are available for young Zimbabweans annually, this year the selection committee made the difficult decision to award only one Scholarship to Victoria Mudyanembwa, which speaks to the very high bar that the Scholarship’s criteria demand of both candidates and selectors in their consideration and evaluation.
“We hope this encourages young Zimbabweans and candidates, in particular, to consistently excel across all the varied key pillars of the criteria, which cover academics, character, leadership, and service — much like Victoria has done,” said Mhlanga
Notable individuals, including Professor Arthur Mutambara, are beneficiaries of the scholarship.
Mudyanembwa, a former pupil at Marist Brothers Dete High School in Hwange, expressed her gratitude for being selected for the prestigious scholarship.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude to be named a Rhodes Scholar-Elect. This is an extraordinary honour, and I am deeply humbled to be part of such a prestigious community. I am indebted to my family, friends, mentors, and supervisors, whose unwavering support has been instrumental in my journey.
“With this scholarship, I am excited to embark on a new chapter in my life. I am eager to contribute to the global community, to learn from brilliant minds, and to make a positive impact on the world,” said Mudyanembwa.
In furthering her studies, she aims to leverage new technologies to explore complex biology and medicine, with a particular focus on better understanding how indigenous traditional medicine can be made widely available, safely, and cost-effectively.
Meanwhile, Mhlanga announced that the next applications will open on June 1 next year and encouraged brilliant Zimbabweans to apply.
“Each year, the selection committee looks forward to engaging with remarkable young Zimbabweans of all backgrounds — across gender, race, and academic discipline — from both local and international universities. It is our young people who continue to fly the Zimbabwean flag high as they seek to drive progressive change in their fields of study and in the communities and spaces where they find themselves,” said Mhlanga. –@nqotshili
Online Reporter