The Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Awards were initiated by the Oppenheimer Memorial Trust in 2001 to commemorate the Trust’s founder, Harry Oppenheimer, and all he stood for, especially his efforts to support human and intellectual development, to advance scholarship and encourage ideas. The Trust has a long tradition of investing in education and many beneficiaries have gone on to make important contributions to South African public life. The Fellowship builds on and expands this tradition and is the Trust’s premier award with a monetary value of two million Rand.
It is a very special investment to encourage and acknowledge excellence in scholarship in all its forms. Candidates from all disciplines compete annually for the Fellowship and it is granted to scholars of the highest calibre who are engaged in cutting-edge and internationally significant work that has particular application to the advancement of knowledge, teaching, research and development in South Africa and beyond.
Twenty two Fellowships have been awarded to date.