In a historic first, two Torres Strait Islander scholars have been awarded the prestigious Charlie Perkins Chevening Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
Badu Island, Mabuyag Island and Boigu Island woman Isobel Loban Yorkston, and Poruma, Mauar, Erub, Bidjara and Dhunghutti man Bhosten Savage, have been recognised for their academic excellence and commitment to driving change across Australia.
They will be awarded the scholarship at a formal ceremony at the British High Commission in Canberra on 5 August 2025, and will travel to Oxford later this year to begin their postgraduate studies.
This postgraduate scholarship is delivered through the Aurora Education Foundation (Aurora), jointly supported by the UK Government’s Chevening Scholarship Program through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Australian Government through the National Indigenous Australians Agency. The scholarship is for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students who have the potential to become leaders in their field and create meaningful change in their communities.
Isobel, a Brisbane-based social worker in community health, will study a Master of Science in International Health and Tropical Medicine at Oxford. Following placements in Asia or Africa, Isobel plans to return to Australia to strengthen global and public health research, with a focus on Torres Strait Islander and Indigenous communities. Bhosten, a Project Engineer also from Brisbane, will undertake an MBA at Oxford, with an aim of leading major infrastructure projects that improve connectivity in regional and remote Australia.
For Isobel Loban Yorkston, becoming a global leader in public health isn’t about prestige, it’s about creating impact back home in the Torres Strait.
“I want to be a global leader in public health and tropical medicine, with a foundation that always leads back to my community. I want to be someone who, when people think about excellence in public health and tropical medicine, especially in the Torres Strait, they think of Isobel Loban Yorkston. For me, success is when a community member stops me in the street and says, ‘Bub, thank you. My son’s doing much better now because of the health plan you helped us create.’ Going to Oxford is a key stepping stone towards making that future real,” Isobel said.
CEO of the Aurora Education Foundation, Wiradjuri woman, Leila Smith, said:
“This scholarship program began as a bold statement that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people belong at the world’s best universities. Fifteen years ago, no First Nations Australians had studied at Oxford or Cambridge. Today, nearly 50 have. Isobel and Bhosten are now the first Torres Strait Islander recipients to study at Oxford, and they carry forward this legacy of excellence and community leadership. This is yet another example of what investment in Indigenous potential looks like. It’s global qualifications, lived experience, and a deep commitment to driving change back home”.
Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) Chairperson George Nona said the scholarships were a proud moment for families, communities and the entire Torres Strait region.
“This history-making opportunity at the University of Oxford will open the door for more Torres Strait Islanders to achieve academic excellence at a global level,” Mr Nona said.
“From our island home to the halls of Oxford, we wish Isobel and Bhosten the very best on their academic journey as they join the world’s best scholars – proudly carrying our flag and sharing the unique experiences, culture, knowledge and stories of Zenadth Kes.”
British High Commissioner to Australia, Dame Sarah MacIntosh said: “I am delighted that the UK’s Chevening Scholarship program continues to support First Nations Australians to study in the UK. Our partnership with Aurora reflects the strong people to people links that underpin our UK-Australia relationship. I wish Isobel and Bhoston all the very best for their time studying in Oxford”.
Torres Strait Islander scholar Vincent Backhaus previously studied at the University of Cambridge under the same scholarship.