Turkish Harvard graduate accepted to Oxford

Beyazıt Şenbük - ISTANBUL

A Turkish student, who recently graduated from Harvard University after earning a scholarship in 2018, has now been accepted into an Oxford University master's program.

In 2018, Harvard University accepted Uluç Kadıoğlu with a scholarship for his study on microscopic worms showing that the use of diabetes and heart medication together increases the risk of cancer.

Kadıoğlu, who received a scholarship of $320,000, graduated from Harvard this year. Upon his graduation, Kadıoğlu decided to leave behind his achievements in biology and get a specialization in political science instead. And therefore, he knocked on the door of Oxford University and got accepted for a master's program.

“For my master's degree, I applied to Cambridge, Oxford, London Schools of Economics and Sciences Po and was accepted by all of them. One of them was the 'Global Management and Diplomacy' Department in Oxford, which excited me the most, as they accept only 5 percent of the applicants. The people who are accepted here usually have diplomatic experience.”

Explaining his decision of changing his focus from biology to political sciences to local media, Kadıoğlu stated that he thinks a field that can bring rapid, concrete and large-scale benefits to humanity is politics and diplomacy.

“For example, the U.N. conventions can offer solutions to mass problems in Africa with the decisions taken there. It directly affects very large masses. Taking part in places where high-level decisions can be made seems to me an area where I can have a more positive impact on humanity. I applied for an internship at NATO, and I have an interview soon. I definitely want to take part in diplomatic relations of Türkiye in the future,” he added.

Kadıoğlu, who is currently preparing for his interview for an internship at NATO, is also chosen as one of the 25 most successful among the 3,223 Turkish students studying for undergraduate degrees in the U.S. by Study in America, an educational counseling establishment.