KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 19): The Rhodes Trust announced that it has awarded Subashan Vadibeler with a Rhodes Scholarship for Malaysia.

Subashan Vadibeler is a final-year medical student at the University of Malaya who aims to pursue the MSc in Integrated Immunology and the MSc in International Health and Tropical Medicine at Oxford.

In a statement today, the Rhodes Trust said upon successful acceptance to the University of Oxford, he will join the institution in October 2021.

"As a Rhodes Scholar, Subashan aims to develop solutions to treat neglected tropical diseases, especially dengue, and to advance healthcare options for vulnerable communities," it said.

According to the foundation, the Rhodes Scholarship is the world's pre-eminent and oldest graduate fellowship, based at the University of Oxford since 1903.

"Administered by the Rhodes Trust in Oxford, the programme awards 100 fully funded scholarships each year to students from anywhere in the world with proven academic excellence who also show exceptional character, leadership, achievement in extracurricular activities and a commitment to solving humanity's challenges," said the foundation.

Yayasan Khazanah is a key strategic partner of the Rhodes Trust in Malaysia. The selection process includes two rounds of reviews before the final interviews with an international selection committee.

"We are extremely excited that Subashan Vadibeler is this year's Rhodes Scholar Elect for Malaysia. The Rhodes Scholarship brings together young people who advocate for their local communities and champion difficult yet necessary causes for the good of the world — Subashan embodies this vision. He continues the legacy of the Scholars from Malaysia and we are eager to see all the good work he will do at Oxford and beyond," said Intan Zalila Mohd Yusof, senior vice president at Yayasan Khazanah.

Dr Elizabeth Kiss, chief executive officer and Warden of the Rhodes Trust, said: "Since reinstating the Rhodes Scholarship for Malaysia in 2016, we have welcomed one outstanding scholar a year and I am so pleased that the 2021 selection happened seamlessly despite us having to pivot to virtual selection because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are grateful for the support from Yayasan Khazanah to enable the Malaysian Rhodes Scholarship. Subashan Vadibeler has already proven that he has the skills, willingness and determination to stand up for the world and I am looking forward to witnessing his exciting contributions to our global community."