An Oxford Master's student has been named the top black student in the UK. Ndakuna Fonso Amidou of Green Templeton College and the Oxford Internet Institute is undertaking an MSc in Social Science of the Internet and MBA and was presented the award by David Lammy MP in the Palace of Westminster on 14 July.
Now in its eighth year, Rare Rising Stars celebrates the achievements of black students in the UK. The judging panel included David Lammy MP, Trevor Phillips OBE, Jean Tomlin OBE, and Adrian Joseph of Google.
Amidou grew up in a village outside of Bameda, in the North West region of Cameroon, where he didn't start formal schooling until age ten. After taking O Levels in his village school and qualifying as a mental health nurse, he eventually joined his brother in London. He worked for the NHS for five years before studying engineering as an undergraduate at Brunel University, working as a nurse throughout his studies. In 2008, he founded a healthcare clinic in Cameroon in order to address the lack of access to healthcare in rural areas. Today the clinic employs more than 22 nurses and two visiting doctors, and serves around 100 patients per day. Amidou has worked in the UK for Motorola and Vodafone, and is now studying a 1+1 MSc and MBA programme at Oxford with a Pershing Square Graduate Scholarship.
Raph Mokades, Managing Director of diversity recruitment firm Rare, which runs the awards, said: 'Every year, I am stunned by the quality of the Stars. Every year, I am inspired. Often facing unfavourable circumstances, our Stars have achieved remarkable things, and they deserve to be recognised.'
Oxford University has featured prominently on the Rare Rising Stars list, with fourteen entries over the last eight years. Oxford students have three times been named the UK's top black student.