Professor Richard O C Oreffo (DPhil DSc (Oxon) FHEA CBiol FRSB FIOR) is a professor of Musculoskeletal Science and co-founder and Director of the Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells and Regeneration at the University of Southampton.
He is also the founder of the Cowrie Scholarship Foundation, which began in early 2020, and along with the help of his two daughters, aim to raise £500,000 to fund 100 scholarships for disadvantaged Black British students to attend leading UK universities over the next decade (2021 to 2031). He’s been fortunate to experience the advantages of higher education, with degrees from the University of Liverpool and University of Oxford, followed by research in America and Oxford, and believes that finance should not be a barrier to education or opportunity. Because of this, the foundation seeks to address one part of the jigsaw – the financial cost of university education. They also aim to not only raise funds to get students into university, but develop partnerships with the universities and provide personal mentors to support the students throughout their university experience.
The foundation has partnered up with lots of UK universities, charities and educational organisations to help develop the next generation of Black British students. These include: University of Southampton, Newscastle University, University of Liverpool, The University of Edinburgh, With Insight Education, Reach Society, Target Oxbridge and lots more!
You can watch the full episode and our top 3 insights below.