The announcement of the Cuppy Africa Oxford Scholars Fund follows the artist’s graduation in March with an MSc in African Studies from the institution. The donation will go to the Africa Oxford Initiative (AfOx), a cross-university platform that aims to increase the number of African students pursuing postgraduate degrees at Oxford.
The donation will provide assistance to African graduate students at the university in addressing unforeseen financial difficulties and undertaking initiatives that will ensure exceptional performance in their graduate studies, offering additional support to the most vulnerable students, including those with disabilities and those with caring responsibilities.
“I am so proud of this partnership that not only extends my relationship with Oxford University but empowers future generations to come,” the artist, who is also behind the Cuppy Foundation, said. “Having just graduated with an MSc degree in African Studies myself, I saw first-hand the variances in university life experiences for students originating from my continent, Africa. The fundamental role that the Cuppy Fund will play is to narrow resource gaps for those who need it the most so they can fully commit to pursuing the education they deserve. The opportunity to study at Oxford is an accomplishment but one fully realised when you are able to complete your course.”
AfOx co-director Dr Anne Makena added: “We are absolutely delighted that Cuppy is so generously supporting African graduate students here at Oxford. We both share the experience of being African graduate students at Oxford and it is a great honour for AfOx to partner with Cuppy to address some of the unique challenges that African students might encounter during their time in Oxford. The Cuppy Africa Oxford Scholars Fund will help to ensure that they have access to the best possible support to navigate and succeed at Oxford, and continue on to remarkable careers as champions of development in African countries and globally.’
A Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 alumna, DJ Cuppy, born Florence Ifeoluwa Otedola, is known for many successful singles, as well as collections like the House of Cuppy, House of Cuppy II and Original Copy. In 2020, she was named as host of Apple Music’s Africa Now Radio, a weekly show featuring a mix of contemporary and traditional popular African sounds, including genres like Afrobeat, rap, house, kuduro and more.