Queen's graduate earns Rhodes Scholarship

Queen’s University graduate Aidan Gurung has been selected as a 2025 Rhodes Scholar, earning a prestigious scholarship to pursue a fully funded postgraduate education at the University of Oxford.  

Gurung graduated from Queen’s in 2024 with a dual degree in Global Development Studies and Education. She is currently completing a master’s in Education and International Development at the University of Cambridge. At Oxford, she hopes to pursue a DPhil in Education. This selection brings Queen’s overall Rhodes Scholar total to 62.  

“On behalf of the Queen’s community, I congratulate Aidan on this inspiring accomplishment,” says Principal and Vice-Chancellor Patrick Deane. “She is committed to harnessing the powers of education and entrepreneurship to create social change, and you can see this focus throughout her academic work, volunteering, and leadership experience. The Rhodes Scholarship and her education at Oxford will undoubtedly help her continue to pursue her goals of supporting students and enhancing access to education.”

Gurung is from Ottawa and spent her childhood in Nepal, which she is currently studying as part of her research for her master’s program. During her time at Queen’s, she received several awards, including an Undergraduate Student Summer Research Fellowship, the Jean Royce Fellowship, and the Cansbridge Fellowship, awarded in recognition of her entrepreneurial spirit.

“Winning the Rhodes Scholarship is a dream come true,” says Gurung. “I feel so grateful to be joining such a wonderful community of change-makers, and I can’t wait to use this scholarship for good. I see winning this scholarship as a shared resource that I hope to pour back into my communities.”

She has also worked at education startups in Canada and South Korea, and she is the co-founder of a startup focused on menstrual equity. She has also received the Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers from the Governor General of Canada.

"I am very proud to be a Queen’s alum, and to have studied Global Development and Education here," says Gurung. "This would not have been possible without the support of wonderful mentors, both inside and outside Queens. Namely, I am grateful for Dr. Lindsay Morcom, Dr. Reena Kukreja, Dr. Johnathan Shaw, Dr. Alina Dixon, James Hantho and Gabi Foss."

Funded by the Rhodes Trust, more than 100 scholarships are awarded each year to students from more than 60 countries, including 11 scholarships each year for students from Canada. The Rhodes Scholarship aims to develop public-spirited leaders and promote international understanding and peace.

The scholarships to the University of Oxford provide the opportunity to pursue a fully funded, full-time postgraduate education.

Learn more on the Rhodes Trust website.

The story originally appeared in The Gazette.