Innocent Farai Chikwanda ’25, ‘M27 has been named among the Rhodes Scholar Class of 2026, the world’s oldest and one of the most competitive academic honors. Chikwanda is among 108 Scholars selected this year and will pursue two postgraduate degrees at Oxford: an MSc in Advanced Computer Science, followed by a Master of Business Administration (MBA). He is one of three Scholars from Zimbabwe.

Established in 1903 and based at the University of Oxford, the scholarship recognizes young people who combine academic excellence with character, leadership, and a commitment to addressing society’s most pressing challenges. “I want to deepen my technical expertise and complement it with a strong understanding of the business world, because there is still so much to be built for Africa,” he shared, reflecting on his choice of study.

Raised in Ruwa, Zimbabwe, Chikwanda traces his journey to his parents’ strong belief in education. That foundation led him to Ashesi University through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, where he joined the Computer Science Class of 2025 and later progressed into the Master’s in Intelligent Computing Systems Class of 2027.

At Ashesi, Chikwanda began translating his learning into practical problem-solving, leveraging the university’s entrepreneurship ecosystem. In his first year, he co-founded Chariot Africa, a social enterprise focused on expanding digital access in rural communities. With funding and ideation support from the Ashesi Center for Entrepreneurship’s Design Lab, the initiative operated a mobile digital lab equipped with Wi-Fi and computers to introduce foundational IT skills to basic school students in Berekuso.