NUS College and Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences alumnus Salifian Sulaiman (Class of 2024) has won the Singapore Rhodes Scholarship this year, becoming Singapore’s 30th Rhodes Scholar. Under the scholarship, Salifian will be pursuing doctoral research in anthropology and migration studies at the University of Oxford in October 2025.
The Rhodes selection process identifies outstanding young leaders of exceptional character and intellect who apply their energy and talents fully to the service of others and to addressing humanity’s challenges.
Explaining this year’s choice, Ms Yong Ying-I, who chaired the Selection Committee, noted that the scholarship recognises leaders whose efforts can catalyse positive change in the community by inspiring others to serve the common good. “Salifian distinguished himself by exemplifying what the Scholarship seeks to represent. His ethically responsible, intellectually rigorous and personally reflective approach is valuable in the area of migration studies. In Singapore and elsewhere globally, migration challenges abound. We are excited to see how he will make use of the Rhodes experience to become a stronger community and thought leader in the future, contributing to building a better world,” she said.
Salifian completed his NUS-Waseda double-degree programme in 2024, earning a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History from NUS and a Bachelor of Arts in International Liberal Studies from Japan’s Waseda University.
Inspired by experience
Salifian’s interest in his chosen field of anthropology and migration studies is motivated by a concern for uplifting vulnerable and minority communities worldwide, as well as his own experiences.
“I grew up in a working-class family. I have three brothers and parents who did their best to provide for us and encourage us in pursuing our passions and goals as we were growing up. I am grateful for the scholarships and financial aid that have supported my education, in particular the Wee Cho Yaw Future Leaders Award that I received throughout my time at NUS,” said Salifian. The scholarship “helped me overcome some of the financial challenges my family was facing so that I could focus on my studies and have a well-rounded university experience,” he added.
Having overcome some obstacles of his own growing up, the aspiring researcher is passionate about sharing the stories of others who have overcome challenges and pursued their dreams to inspire positive action in others.
Driven by a desire to promote inclusivity and raise awareness about faith and culture, Salifian started ‘Salam’ to support and represent the Malay/Muslim students in his community at NUS College (the successor to the University Scholars Programme) and organise interfaith dialogues that encouraged students to engage in difficult but important conversations about faith and common understanding.
Now in its fourth year and with a membership of about 50 students, ‘Salam’, continues to advocate for the Malay/Muslim community on campus through engagement activities and events.
“My years at NUS College were especially formative for me,” he shared. “The residential experience allowed me to constantly engage with my peers and teachers. The creative courses and the conversations shared over meals or even late into the night expanded my curiosity and worldview, and somewhere within that my dream of becoming a Rhodes Scholar was birthed,” reflected Salifian, who served as a Residential Assistant for more than two years.
Salifian’s passion to make a difference was not confined to campus activities. In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Salifian put his baking skills to good use and founded the Bake As One charity project, a collaboration with three other home-based bakeries in Singapore to raise funds for the Children’s Charities Association of Singapore, benefitting underprivileged children.
During his time as an exchange student in Japan under his double-degree programme, Salifian also started an initiative with local students and entrepreneurs called Blossom As One to uplift underprivileged groups through e-commerce. It later branched out to provide English tuition to local children to build their confidence in a foreign language.
Community empowerment
Salifian is now pursuing a Master of Philosophy in Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge under the Lee Kuan Yew–Quantedge Studentship and LBKM Postgraduate Prestigious Scholarship, which he will complete in August 2025, before heading to Oxford in the fall to begin doctoral research.
“This will be an excellent opportunity for me to learn from the outstanding faculty and other students, especially from the Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS), Oxford Martin School, and the Department of Education,” Salifian said.
Even after he completes his doctoral research at Oxford, Salifian intends to continue contributing to research on issues related to anthropology and migration, such as the impact of overseas experiences and education on promoting social mobility amongst working-class families. He will also be seeking opportunities to work on projects to uplift underprivileged youth in Singapore through mentorship and other vocational support.