Scholars picked for Oxford

New Zealand's three newest Rhodes Scholars, who take up their posts at Oxford University next year, were announced yesterday.

They are Nicholas Douglas, a medical student from the University of Otago, Rosara Joseph, a law and BA student from the University of Canterbury, and political science and law student Malcolm Birdling from Victoria University.

Mr Douglas intends undertaking a Master of Global Health Science and then to read for a Doctor of Philosophy. He then plans to return to New Zealand to work as a paediatric oncologist.

Ms Joseph will pursue an MPhil degree in law at Oxford, including courses in comparative human rights, evidence, justice and the penal system. She is particularly interested in the areas where law merges with issues of fundamental policy and values.

Mr Birdling will do a Bachelor of Civil Law degree, studying comparative public law and human rights, as well as jurisprudence, political and constitutional theory. He intends to teach and practise public law on his return to New Zealand.

- NZPA