Arafeh studied political science, economics, and Middle Eastern studies as a student in the Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po. She was inducted into the School of General Studies Honor Society and Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University. Thereafter, she attended the University of Cambridge, where she received an MPhil in development studies in 2014.
“As an undergraduate, Nur was already a stand-out. Her sense of purpose and her tremendous discipline made her a joy to work with. It makes perfect sense to me that the Rhodes should have selected her. She has an inquiring mind and a noble mission,” Glenn Novarr, Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at the School of General Studies, said.
She has since been living and working in Palestine, first at an economic policy research institute and as a visiting lecturer of economics at Al-Quds Bard College. Currently, she is the policy fellow of Al-Shabaka, the Palestinian Policy Network, a virtual think tank whose mission is to promote policy analysis on Palestine.
“I had an instinct that I should apply for the Rhodes, not simply because I believed I met their requirements, but because I knew that the process of applying—in terms of thinking proactively about where I want to focus my energies in the future—would be rewarding, regardless of whether I was selected,” Arafeh said.
At Oxford, Arafeh’s research will build upon her previous work, analyzing the dynamics of rising income inequality in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and examining its sources.
This marks the second consecutive year that the Rhodes Scholarship has been awarded to a student from the School of General Studies. Luca Springer ’16, who is also a graduate of the Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po, was selected as a 2016 Rhodes Scholar, and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy degree at Oxford University.