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T H E C L A R E N D O N C H R O N I C L E

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1 THE CLARENDON CHRONICLE – Newsletter of the Clarendon Scholars’ Association

The editorial staff of the Clarendon Chronicle would like to thank the Scholars, current and former, who took the time to share their inspirational stories with us.

We would also like to encourage all current and former Clarendon scholars to submit their stories and accomplishments. There are so many great Scholars doing so many great things that the rest of the Community should really know about you. The goal is to use your story to inspire passion in other Scholars. Please use the Chronicle as a way to stay in touch with the Clarendon community. We hope to hear from you soon!

Lucas Greder

EDITOR’S NOTE

IN THIS ISSUE

Chief Editor: Lucas Greder | Designer & Editor: Erica Lombard | clarendonchronicle@gmail.com

T H E C L A R E N D O N C H R O N I C L E

3-4 | CLARENDON ANNUAL RECEPTION

8 | CLARENDON SANTAS ON THE RUN

9 | ALUMNI NEWS 10 | CURRENT SCHOLAR NEWS

2 | MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

5-6 | POETRY AS WOMEN’S RESISTANCE TO THE CONSEQUENCES OF BEDOUIN DISPLACEMENT IN JORDAN

7 | A NIGHT IN THE RHODES HOUSE

11 | SCHOLARS’ CORNER

Volume 3 Issue 2 – Hilary Term 2014 2

Dear Scholars and Alumni,

We are in a special position as members of the emerging Clarendon Community. Every beginning is a challenge, but once enough momentum is gathered, a

development like ours can only snowball. I certainly feel that we have reached that point. There is an excitement and feeling of potential that is characteristic of ambitious

young organisations and that is hard to parallel.

This was evident at the end of Michaelmas Term 2013 at the Annual Clarendon Talk, where Sir Paul Collier CBE and Professor Cameron Hepburn sketched a ‘Road to Reconciliation’ with our environment. With both of our distinguished guests stressing the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue and the role of bright young people, it was difficult to imagine a better audience than our scholarship community. Our enthusiasm afterwards at the reception and dinner in Balliol College was a fantastic way to conclude a very special year for Clarendon Scholars.

Most importantly, I am delighted to see that this energy carried into 2014. Despite the heaps of work that Hilary Term undeniably represents, we have had striking numbers of Clarendons attending our weekly events, ranging from drinks receptions, cultural outings, and coffee chats to academic talks, meet-and-mingle events with other scholarship communities, and workshops by Clarendon Alumni. Over the next months, we have an inspiring programme lined up to facilitate stimulating dialogue within our uniquely interdisciplinary and international scholarship.

As the Council for 2014, Claudia, Jerome, Anjul, Dewei, Chico, Lucas, Julian, Ben, Karine, and I feel honoured to play a role in guiding the development of our community. We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to many of you for your active involvement in the last term and a special thank you to last year’s Councillors, Rami, Timson, Hong-Sheng, Nick, and Dansie. We encourage Scholars and Alumni to be in touch if you would like to share ideas for new events, stories for the Chronicle or our Symposium in Trinity Term, or your enthusiasm by joining our team in thinking about the future of our community.

On behalf of the whole Council, I wish you all a fantastic Easter break and Trinity Term.

Matthijs Vákár

2014 President of the Clarendon Scholars’ Association

Message from the President

3 THE CLARENDON CHRONICLE – Newsletter of the Clarendon Scholars’ Association

Volume 3 Issue 2 – Hilary Term 2014 4

The OUP building on Great Claren-don Street was a perfect choice as it was one of only a few places with the

potential to top the venues of previous years, which included the University’s Natural History Museum and the Oxford Town Hall on St. Aldates. With the same commitment shown through their generous contributions to the Clarendon Fund, OUP rolled out the red carpet for Clarendon Scholars. Wine, champagne and food were served while enjoy-ing a jazz quartet.

The night started with an address from Oxford University Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Hamilton. Like previous years, he highlighted how the Fund has helped the University’s aim to attract a promising and diverse group of students. In particular, he emphasized the relationship that the fund had with OUP, highlighting the generosity that the hosts displayed throughout the night.

Nigel Portwood, OUP’s Chief Execu tive, followed the Vice-Chancellor and spoke of OUP’s commitment to the University, Clarendon Fund and Clarendon Scholars. Fittingly, Mr Portwood conveyed his message from the very building that helped make OUP what it is today.

The last speaker of the night, 2013 Clarendon Council President Rami Amin, highlighted that it was OUP’s generosity that has helped make the Clarendon Fund into one of the University’s finest scholarships. Transitioning to the work of the Clarendon Council, Rami spoke of the way in which the 2013 Council transformed the Scholars into an active community where scholars could create friendships, enjoy thoughtful discussion and engage in the many cultural activities that Oxford has to offer. The night ended with conversations, wine and music—a fitting end.

Clarendon Annual Reception 2013

On 11th November 2013,

Oxford University Press

(OUP) welcomed Clarendon

Scholars to the OUP building

for the Clarendon Fund’s

annual reception. This year

marked the celebration of the

Clarendon Fund’s twelfth year.

OUP opens doors and rolls out red carpet for Clarendons

5 THE CLARENDON CHRONICLE – Newsletter of the Clarendon Scholars’ Association

Poetry as women’s resistance to the consequences of Bedouin displacement in Jordan

shā’irah by Maira Seeley

Photo: Nadjib Aktouf | stock.xchng

Volume 3 Issue 2 – Hilary Term 2014 6

Bedouin populations in the Middle East have experi-enced significant displace ment through loss of assets or of access to assets, leading to a loss of livelihood during the past six decades. Bedouin in rural Aqaba

and Ma’an governorates in southern Jordan have been prevented from following migratory routes because of a reinforced border with Saudi Arabia and government initiatives that sought to induce Bedouin settlement. Very few Jordanian Bedouin today rely on herding for subsistence, and most families’ survival depends on male wage labour (for example in the tourist industry), military pensions and state benefits.

This displacement from a migratory lifestyle has signifi-cantly affected Bedouin women’s social and family roles. The transition to sedentary life and greater geographic and spatial proximity to non-relatives has required women to take measures to avoid contact with unrelated males. In the densely settled contexts into which Bedouin have been displaced, this has serious consequences for women’s mobility, restricting their ability to contribute economically to their families and limiting their participation in public activities and decision making. Women’s labour was formerly critical to family survival in a herding context, as women were respon sible for caring for animals, milking and processing dairy products, as well as for the care, mobility and erection of tents. Women’s activities also occupied a larger spatial range in herding contexts, with fewer restrictions on movement.

Because most families no longer dep end on domestic animals and the vast majority of wage earners in Bedouin households today are male, women have been largely sidelined as economic contributors and their influence in their own household’s economic decisions has consequently been reduced. Political activity is also difficult for Bedouin women due to restrictions on their public movement and interaction with unrelated men.

The traditional art form of Nabati poetry (al-sha’r al-Nabati), a genre of oral poetry composed throughout the Arab-ian Penin sula by both men and women, has proved to be an acceptable means of resistance. Nabati poetry creates an avenue of resistance in several ways: by increasing women’s spatial and geographic mobility, by providing opportunities to voice

political and social criticism, and by allowing some women to establish careers as poets and thus garner respect, influence and financial benefits.

Unlike many rural Bedouin women, a female poet (shā’irah) may travel many driving hours from home to participate in a poetry evening (umsiyyah) or contest (mahrajān), accompanied by her husband or another trusted individual. This contrasts strongly with the restrictions on many non-poet Bedouin women’s movement that prevent them from appearing even in the village outside their home. A female poet, however, can recite her work before an audience of as many as 500 men without attracting criticism of her morals. The most successful female poets may even, if they have the resources, travel abroad to participate in international poetry events such as the Emirati televised competition ‘Shā’r al-Million’ (‘Millions’ Poet’). During and after such events women poets may converse and eat with unrelated men and, in the context of a poetry evening, this does not usually generate social disapproval.

Nabati poetry events also enable such displaced Bedouin women to participate in public political and social debate. Much of the poetry women compose addresses con tentious issues such as political corruption and perceived disloyalty, the Arab Spring movements and the nature of being Jordanians. Bedouin women’s limited opportunities for higher education often bar them from political leadership but not from composing influential poetry. One female poet’s family strongly opposed her official participation in politics, but they supported her political action through a widely disseminated and controversial poem criticising political figures.

Renown as an accomplished poet is also a means for women to establish a position of social prestige as contributors to family honour and reputation and as savvy intellectuals who may join in men’s political discussions.

Maira Seeley (maira.seeley@lincoln.ox.ac.uk) is a student at the

University of Oxford.

This article first appeared in Forced Migration Review issue 43 (www.fmreview.org/fragilestates).

Despite the significant displacement that Jordanian Bedouin families have undergone in recent generations, Bedouin women are currently able to mitigate some of the consequences of that displacement through the opportunities and influence they have gained as Nabati poets.

‘The traditional art form of Nabati poetry (al-sha’r al-Nabati) . . . has proved to be an acceptable means of resistance.’

7 THE CLARENDON CHRONICLE – Newsletter of the Clarendon Scholars’ Association

On 24th January 2014, Clarendon and Rhodes Scholars met at Rhodes House for a meet and mingle event—the first of its kind between the two Oxford Scholarships. The event was popular among Clarendon scholars

with many more scholars expressing interest then the allotted 50 spots would allow. Throughout the night, the two groups discussed life at Oxford while sipping on complementary wine and snacks. The aim of the event was to create an ongoing dialogue between the students of each group with the hope of fostering friendships as wells as social and academic collaboration.

The event was hosted by Mr Charles Conn, the Warden of Rhodes House, and Mary Eaton, the registrar of Rhodes. As a token of appreciation, Clarendon Scholars presented Mr Conn with The History of the Great Rebellion by Edward Hyde, the first Earl of Clarendon, and Paul Seward, which was signed by Mr. Nigel Portwood, the CEO of Oxford University Press. Notably, the profits from The History of the Great Rebellion helped build the Clarendon Building at the University of Oxford, which at one point housed Oxford University Press.

Anjul Khadria, the External Relations Officer of the Claren-don Scholar’s Council said “Students get generally so busy in the middle of the term that they rarely get time to make new friends. Oxford is as much about making friends as taking lectures, and we made a small effort to bring the two Oxford scholarships closer.”

A night in the Rhodes House

Volume 3 Issue 2 – Hilary Term 2014 8

Team Clarendon: Hong-Sheng Lim,

Tracy Jennings, Giles Gardam, Claudia

Vadeboncoeur, Jiayun Ho, Wenji Guo

Santas on the Run 2013, Oxford

The atmosphere surrounding the 2013 Santa Run was described by some as ‘Magical’. On 15th December 2013, six brave Clarendon Scholars put on Santa costumes and

ran the streets of Oxford’s city centre as part of Team Clarendon in an effort to raise money for the Helen & Douglas House.

Team Clarendon issues a challenge to all scholars to help them beat their fundraising goal for the 2014 Santa Run. More importantly, Team Clarendon urges other Clarendons to get involved in charitable fun runs as way to raise money and build solidarity among the Clarendon community. Its goal was to have fun and the team hopes to make it an annual tradition.

Please contact Claudia Vadeboncoeur (claudia.vadeboncoeur@dph.ox.ac.uk) to join the team or offer suggestions of other fun runs.

Clarendon Santas on the run

9 THE CLARENDON CHRONICLE – Newsletter of the Clarendon Scholars’ Association

Alumna organizes exchange program between West Point and the Culinary Institute of America

Located in the Hudson Valley near New York, the United States Military Academy at West Point is just 30 miles away from the Culinary Institute of America. On the surface, the two institutions could not be more different. But to

Clarendon alumna Terry Babcock-Lumish, a relationship between the two was an opportunity for civil-military engagement that would benefit both institutions.

The idea of an exchange program was born when Terry, who teaches economics at West Point, met a professor at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) during one of her culinary adventures along the Hudson River with her partner Brian. Casual conversations quickly turned into a serious endeavour. The outcome was an unprecedented exchange programme between future soldiers and future chefs where CIA students helped West Point students, otherwise known as cadets, prepared an elegant meal in exchange for a guided tour of the life at West Point.

Initially both groups felt out of their comfort zones. At West Point, cadets eat most meals in the “mess hall”, but lack an appreciation for the logistical feat that goes into the preparation. On the other hand, CIA students are likely unaware of the life of

an officer-in-training. In the end, it was the kitchen that united both groups where they discovered the qualities and goals shared between their professions—hard work and discipline are as essential to a chef as a soldier.

Terry believes that this programme is an important step towards better understanding between the civilian and military communities. She explains, “In view of the United States moving from conscription to an all-volunteer military following the Vietnam War, it is important that the military does not remain cloistered but to engage in the broader community with the goal of truly understanding those they serve.”

Most importantly, the exchange programme brought soldiers and civilians together and encouraged interdisciplinary understanding that would be crucial for dealing with the challenges facing us in the 21st century. “We see tremendous potential for an ongoing conversation and are keen to continue our cross-Hudson collaboration”, said Terry. “We are already in discussion to sort the next steps.”

Terry Babcock-Lumish was a DPhil student in Economic Geography. She is the founder and president of Islay

Consulting LLC. She now teaches economics at West Point.

by Thomas Tam

ALUMNI NEWS

Volume 3 Issue 2 – Hilary Term 2014 10

Scholars succeed in business competitions

A few scholars have also come together to compete in an internal business case competition. Karine Yuki, Francisco Camargo, Claudia Vadeboncoeur and Boris Or participated in the Skoll Social Innovation Case Competition (SSICC) at the Saïd Business School. This full day competition brought together graduates from all disciplines to pitch a solution to a real business problem. This year’s problem required the scholars to work on an innovative market entry strategy for Mobile Metrix, a social enterprise currently working in Brazil.

Several Clarendon Scholars have entered business competitions in the hope of improving not only their skills but also, more importantly, our

societies. Here we feature some of their successes.

Sophia Malandraki-Miller, a 2012 Clarendon Scholar, entered the OneStart Competition, a competition looking for innovative biotechnology ideas falling under any of the following: diagnostics, drug discovery, healthcare IT or medical devices. The goal is to provide young innovators with £100,000 start-up funding as wells as the business and intellectual property support needed to help make their ideas a reality. Sophia along with the other two members of Eureka Medica earned a place in the semi-finals in London where they attended a Biotech Business Bootcamp. The team is now preparing its semi-final submission with the hope of earning a place in the finals.

Clarendon Scholars have also put together teams to compete in the Hult Prize Competition. The Hult Prize is the world’s largest student competition and start-up platform for social good. This US$ 1 million competition is in partnership with President Bill Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative. The theme this year is finding a solution to non-communicable diseases in urban slums.

Three Clarendon Scholars in two different teams made it to the next round, the Regional Finals. They were chosen from more than 10,000 applications received from over 350 colleges and universities in over 150 countries. They competed in London in early March where the team of Lise Loerup and Claudia Vadeboncoeur received an honorary mention. Kevin Liu’s team also proudly represented the University.

CURRENT SCHOLAR NEWS

11 THE CLARENDON CHRONICLE – Newsletter of the Clarendon Scholars’ Association

Brian Klaas is a Clarendon Scholar pursuing a doctorate in Politics, focusing on the link between flawed elections and coups d'état / civil wars. As part of his field work, he has spent several months conducting elite interviews with politicians, diplomats, rebels, military officers and others in Madagascar, Zambia, Côte d'Ivoire, and, most recently, Tunisia. Inevitably, those interviews produced insights and anecdotes that did not fit perfectly with the scope of Brian's doctoral research, and so he began writing opinion pieces geared toward policy recommendations for a wider audience outside academia—and was recently published in Foreign Policy, the Los Angeles Times, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Democracy in Africa, and African Arguments. In his spare time, Brian is a rower at New College. He hopes to continue his career after Oxford advising governments on how to improve their policies related to elections and conflict.

As a trainee in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, I was delighted to be awarded two scholarships to study for the new part time MSc in Surgical Science and Practice at the University of Oxford. The MSc was a fantastic programme and allowed me to acquire knowledge and skills that will be useful for the rest of my career, including evidence based healthcare, how to be a medical educator, teamwork and communication, leadership and management and surgical technology and robotics.

It was during my MSc that I applied for a doctorate and was extremely lucky to be awarded a Clarendon Scholarship that would cover all my fees (including those of Balliol College). Clarendon funding allows me to be a more effective and well-rounded surgical trainee and is bringing real benefits to my patients. My development has become more holistic while giving me the opportunity to develop my clinical and academic careers congruently. This has led to rich and unique synergies and international collaborations on projects that really engage me and link in with my clinical development.

Surgical trainees should definitely consider Oxford as a premier place to do a higher degree, develop themselves and their network further.

Riaz is a first year DPhil student studying Evidence Based Healthcare at Balliol College.

Scholars’ corner

Brian Klaas

Riaz Agha

Volume 3 Issue 2 – Hilary Term 2014 12CC

Volume 3 Issue 2 – Hilary Term 2014 13Clarendon Scholars’ Association 2014