The Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme in the Humanities
The Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme in the Humanities is the flagship scholarship scheme for humanities at Oxford and an example of one of the underlying trusts held within the University’s endowment.
The late Mica Ertegun CBE (1926-2023) was a renowned philanthropist whose vision and generosity led, in 2012, to the establishment of the Ertegun Scholarship Programme. Mica’s gift was the largest for humanities scholarships in Oxford’s history. It has endowed in perpetuity a programme for many of the world’s most gifted humanities students, providing support for up to 20 scholars each year.
In the thirteen years since the Ertegun Programme’s establishment, almost 200 of the brightest minds in the humanities, from over 35 countries, have graduated as Ertegun Scholars (with 65% of them achieving distinction), each of whom has sought to embody Mica’s original visionary mission to enlarge their knowledge, extend their vision, and seek the opportunity to exchange ideas.
A key part of Mica’s gift was the provision of a historic Oxford building – Ertegun House – as the students’ base for individual study, interdisciplinary discussion and a range of events relating to the Ertegun Scholars’ academic pursuits. These events have included exclusive lectures and performances by leading figures in the arts and humanities, including the acclaimed jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, the late Picasso expert Sir John Richardson and the British broadcasters and commentators Samira Ahmed and Lord Melvyn Bragg.
In October 2024, the University and Ertegun House were honoured to welcome His Beatitude Theophilos III, Patriarch of Jerusalem, to Oxford for a special event to celebrate Mica Ertegun’s life and achievements. The Patriarch highlighted Mica’s philanthropy beyond Oxford, including as the lead donor to the restoration of the Holy Edicule at Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Maintaining the real value of Mica Ertegun’s underlying gift, while providing a steady, growing distribution is critical to maintaining this activity for generations to come.