HMC student joins the ranks of “Viking” scholars

Harris Manchester College undergraduate Ena Poulsen has won a highly competitive Brittingham Viking Scholarship, giving her the opportunity to study abroad for the next academic year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in the United States. The scholarship, which covers all academic, travel and living expenses throughout the exchange period, is awarded to a single student from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden each year.   

The Brittingham Viking Organization’s reciprocal exchange programme aims to forge stronger cultural links between countries by offering students from the US and Scandinavia the opportunity to study abroad. 

HMC student Ena Poulsen pictured in the College's Tate Quad

Ena, who is studying for a BA in Psychology and Philosophy, plans to draw the maximum benefit from the scholarship by exploring a range of academic subjects and travelling extensively across the US – an activity that is actively encouraged and funded by the scholarship. 

She commented: "I was absolutely thrilled when they called to tell me I’d been awarded the scholarship after the final round of interviews, and it was such a joy to be invited out for a celebratory dinner in Copenhagen with the scholarship committee! I hope to make the most of the year at UW–Madison by taking graduate classes in behavioural neuroscience (building on my studies at Oxford) while also pursuing glassblowing at their art school (a craft I’ve spent a lot of time on before, but haven’t been able to pursue while at Oxford). I can’t wait to combine science and art, and to explore the US!"