- In the entrance hall of Ertegun House is a plaque with the Programme’s mission statement:
The mission of the Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Graduate Scholarship Programme in the Humanities shall be to fund and otherwise encourage graduate study in the Humanities by Ertegun Graduate Scholars, a group of highly qualified students from throughout the world who:
- have a plan to enlarge their knowledge,
- have the desire to extend their vision, and
- seek the opportunity to exchange their ideas.
- The Ertegun Scholars had already won places at Oxford through the usual postgraduate selection system, and were then selected to be Ertegun Scholars through a competitive process.
- Ertegun Scholarships are awarded on merit, regardless of nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief, marital status or social background.
- The design of Ertegun House reflects Oxford’s latest thinking about the proper design of study space for a digital age. Reporters will be welcome to tour the facility.
Additional Press Information
Ahmet Ertegun
Ahmet Ertegun was a legendary figure in the world of music. Founder of Atlantic Records, he shaped the careers of John Coltrane, Eric Clapton, Ray Charles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and many others. Few people had a bigger impact on the record industry.
His father, Mehmet Munir, was a leading figure in the diplomatic service of Turkey, holding posts as Turkish Ambassador to Switzerland, France, the Court of St James and to the United States during the administration of Franklin D Roosevelt. With an instinctive fascination with music developed throughout his youth, Ahmet Ertegun founded Atlantic Records in 1947. Early advocates of Blues and Soul, Ahmet and his brother Nesuhi brought a jazz sensibility into R&B, successfully combining blues and jazz styles from around the country. Subsequent developments in rock and roll made Ahmet Ertegun an unstoppable force in the discovery and support of new artists, shaping the genres of music now intrinsic to modern culture.
Throughout his life, Mr Ertegun credited his education in the humanities, at St John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, with giving him the strength to accomplish his greatest dreams.
Mica Ertegun
Born in Romania, Mica Ertegun, then Ioana Maria Banu, was the only child of Dr George Banu and Nathalie Banu. Her father was the Secretary of Health in the court of King Carol II. Because her father had called her “little one” – in Romanian, “Mica” – she is still known as Mica. (Pronunciation note: “Mica” is pronounced “Meeka” and therefore rhymes with the Spanish word “chica.”)
she left Romania in 1948, soon after the Soviet occupation, for Switzerland and France. She eventually settled in Canada. In 1960, she met Ahmet Ertegun. Mr Ertegun famously courted her by hiding a small orchestra in the bathroom of her suite at the Ritz-Carlton in Montreal, to surprise her with a rendition of Puttin’ On The Ritz. Their marriage was a true meeting of minds; each matched the other with their instinctive creativity and business acumen, and their mutual support propelled the couple to individual success.
In 1967 Mica Ertegun established her New York based company, MAC II, in partnership with the late Chessy Rayner. The corporation is world-renowned for its meticulous taste and style, merging a clean-lined and uncluttered approach with statement pieces. The company has designed residences worldwide, as well as banks, shops, model apartments and offices. Clients include the Trade Development Bank in Geneva, Banco Safra in both Brazil and Luxembourg, The Republic National Bank, Astoria Studios, Warner Communications and New York's renowned Carlyle Hotel. Designs created by MAC II have been published in House & Garden, Elle Décor and Architectural Digest. MAC II has won numerous awards for interior design and is recognized as one of the world’s top interior design firms.
Mrs Ertegun has long been dedicated to the support of international education, a commitment demonstrated by the series of philanthropic programmes established by her and her husband.
Mica Ertegun has served on the boards of New York City Ballet and The Archives of American Art and currently is on the boards of the World Monuments Fund and Jazz at Lincoln Center. She also helped to fund the acquisition of the Larry Rivers paper on behalf of New York University.
Graduate studies in the Humanities at Oxford
The University of Oxford’s Humanities Division is one of the four academic divisions of the University, and has approximately 1,500 graduate students. The Humanities Division offers taught graduate and research degrees in a wide range of subjects. Some of these subjects are relatively new and many cross the boundaries of traditional disciplines. Others are areas of academic research that have long been recognised as of central importance, and they include some that few other universities are still able to support.
Students are provided with outstanding prospects for research, not least through the Bodleian Libraries network and electronic resources, and the rich and diverse holdings of the University’s museums. In addition to materials and support focused on conveying subject-specific knowledge, there is a wide range of facilities aimed at the personal and professional development of students. The liveliness of intellectual activity in the humanities is evidenced by numerous open lectures and seminars, in addition to those for specific courses.
Ashmolean Museum
West Meets East: The Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Gallery (opening on 11 October 2012)
West Meets East: The Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Gallery is situated on the second floor of the Ashmolean Museum between galleries dedicated to Asia, such as Japan from 1850 and China from AD 800, and those focused on Europe, including European Ceramics, Early Italian Art and England 400-1600. This positioning creates both a physical and intellectual link between the two continents. Looking at the history of exchange of both objects and ideas, this gallery examines geographical, historical, commercial, social and aesthetic connections between East and West.
The focus of the gallery extends from the late 15th century to the early 20th century, and objects on display illustrate how Western Europe became a participant in complex commercial, political and social networks in Asia. The story begins with the Portuguese discovery in 1498 of a sea route to India with Dutch and English merchants following soon after. These explorers opened up new markets: on the one hand, for Asian goods, as Europeans became interested in items such as Indian textiles, East Asian ceramics, coffee and tea; and on the other for New World goods, as Europeans introduced foods such as maize, chilli peppers and tomatoes from the Americas to Asian diets.
The gallery introduces the important role the Mediterranean played as the Western gateway to the East, displaying Turkish ceramics and metalwork, as well as Ottoman embroidery, which track the movement of techniques and designs from Turkey to Europe and explore the ways in which the international market shaped reciprocal tastes and productions.
West Meets East is a double height (6m) gallery occupying a central position within the new Ashmolean building overlooking the impressive five-storey central Meitar Atrium. It features a diverse range of objects including ceramics, textiles, coins, medals and paintings to illustrate its key themes of the history of navigation, the development of trade, and local responses to foreign aesthetics.
As one of four Orientation Galleries at the Ashmolean it is part of the backbone of the Ashmolean’s innovative display strategy, Crossing Cultures, Crossing Time, which runs throughout the Museum. This highly original thematic approach is based on the idea of emphasising cultural contact and exchange, rather than cultural difference. No longer viewed in just their conventional historical context, exhibits are considered across cultures and time to emphasise universal functions and social or artistic exchanges.
The Orientation Galleries at the Ashmolean are the first galleries encountered by visitors on each floor of the Museum and play a key role in visitors’ navigation. These galleries highlight the central concepts of each floor and act as a springboard for exploration of the galleries beyond.
Quotes from inaugural Ertegun Scholars
On Ertegun House as a study space for a community of scholars:
Sam Shearn, Theology: ‘As academic disciplines become ever more specialised, the provision of Ertegun House for study and interdisciplinary engagement will enable me to gain a broader perspective and learn to communicate my ideas to those working in other fields.’
Kelsey Rubin-Detlev, French and Russian: ‘I’m very excited about the new Ertegun House, which promises to provide both an ideal work space and a place for discussions with other young scholars of the humanities.’
Laura Waelbroeck, history of art: ‘I am especially excited for the chance the Ertegun Programme will give me to work alongside students from different disciplines.’
Laura Hulley, English literature: ‘The unique interdisciplinary environment of Ertegun House will provide the best possible start to my academic career, and will no doubt greatly strengthen the scope and breadth of my work.’
On the focussed support for the humanities:
Erik Fredericksen, Classics: ‘I think the programme sends a strong message that the humanities are as important, relevant, and necessary to our world today as they have always been.’
Priyasha Mukhopadhyay, English literature: ‘My first reaction to the announcement of the Ertegun Scholarship was happiness that finally, someone was paying attention to the humanities. To be selected as one of the first recipients of the award will not only enable me to pursue my doctoral research at Oxford, but is also a great honour.’
On the importance of funding for postgraduate study:
Sam Shearn, Theology: ‘Mrs Ertegun’s visionary generosity gives me and many others access to advanced study which is otherwise restricted to those with private funds … Without this scholarship, advanced study would be impossible.’
Laura Hulley, English literature: ‘Without the Ertegun Scholarship, I doubt I would have been able to take up my place at Oxford at all.’
General:
Tobias Tan, Theology: ‘For me, the Ertegun scholarship is a generous gift of time and of space: the time to ruminate upon the work of the great thinkers in my discipline, past and present, and the space to engage with teachers and students with diverse backgrounds and interests.’
Joe Snape, musicology: ‘What is so great about being offered an Ertegun studentship is not only the intellectual environment I have the opportunity to be a part of, but also the gesture it represents; the generous and inspiring belief of others in the potential of my work, and my capacity to develop it. I can’t wait to get started!’
