Study Master’s Student at Universität Heidelberg Awarded Rhodes Scholarship
17 December 2025
Marianne Riering receives prestigious scholarship for her doctorate at the University of Oxford
For her outstanding academic achievements and wide-ranging involvement beyond her studies, Heidelberg University student Marianne Riering has been awarded the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship. The scholarship is considered one of the oldest and most renowned in the world, providing funding for postgraduate study at the University of Oxford (UK). Marianne Riering is currently enrolled in the master’s program in Molecular Biosciences at Heidelberg University. At Oxford, she intends to begin her doctoral studies in the field of cancer research. This means that, following 2024, a Rhodes Scholarship will also be awarded to Ruperto Carola this year.
Marianne Riering completed her bachelor’s degree in Biosciences at Heidelberg University and Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm (Sweden). As part of her master’s studies at Ruperto Carola, she spent six months at the University of Oxford on a research placement. She is currently writing her master’s thesis on pediatric neuroblastoma, a cancer that occurs mainly in children, at the Hopp Children’s Cancer Center Heidelberg (KiTZ) – a joint institution of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg University Hospital, and Heidelberg University. At Oxford, Marianne Riering plans to continue researching cancers as part of her doctoral thesis. By awarding her this scholarship, the Rhodes Trust recognizes the student’s academic achievements as well as her wider social engagement, including her work with an organization supporting children with cancer. On top of that, she is a member of Heidelberg University’s Collegium Musicum and works as a tutor for international students.
Since 1903, the Rhodes Scholarship has made it possible for exceptional students around the world to pursue postgraduate study at the University of Oxford. The scholarship covers not only tuition fees but also living costs for up to three years. Each year, over 100 students from more than 20 countries are granted this scholarship, including two from Germany. In this way, the Rhodes Trust, a UK-based educational charity, aims to promote academic excellence and social commitment, while contributing to international understanding through a global community of scholars. In 2024, Heidelberg University student Malek Alhajkhouder also received the award.