Graduate returns to city to promote university

Living above a corner shop in Bradford seemed a long way from studying below the "dreaming spires" of Oxford University for Hoa Duong.

But the 22-year-old, from West Bowling, has just graduated with a first-class master's degree from the university after being inspired to apply for a place by a teacher who spotted his potential.

Hoa returned to his home city this week as part of a two-day festival to promote the university and hoped he could encourage other youngsters from Bradford to consider applying to study.

"People in the top universities are wanting to open those doors for you, so just look for the doors because they are there," he said.

"I grew up in BD5, West Bowling. We lived on top of a corner shop, a family of six," Hoa said.

"When I found out that they were going to do this event I really, really desperately wanted to come back up."

More than 800 pupils from state-funded schools across the district were invited to attend the Oxplore Festival, held inside Bradford College.

"It's been fantastic. My old school came and it was really nice to see some old teachers," Hoa said.

It was one teacher at Bradford Academy who set him on his path to study computer science and philosophy at Oxford.

"I had a very inspiring teacher in Year 8 and 9, Mr Marshall, and he really pushed me to see what was out there," he said.

"I just pushed at that point and then did my A-levels and then I applied, and it all happened very fast.

"It's something that I'm very grateful for now."

Children aged 11 to 13 were chosen to attend the event, from 27 schools that are currently under represented in the Oxford admissions process.

Arooj, 13, was one of those invited to take part and said she enjoyed the activities on offer.

"We put on a virtual reality headset and looked at these human figures, human anatomy, and I looked at the bones and the body and how it works," she said.

"I don't know what I want to be yet, but I could see myself going to Oxford University."

Fellow pupil Wareesha, 13, who wants to be a surgeon, said: "I didn't know much about Oxford before, but now I'd like to go there."

Mia, 13, said the festival had been "enthralling" and that she wanted to study to become either an aerospace engineer or an MP.

Teacher Chrisoulla Coleman said it was "really important" for pupils to "realise the opportunities that are available to them".

"And obviously they can realise that we can break that glass ceiling even though they're from a deprived area, coming from Bradford."

Dr Samina Khan, the university's director of undergraduate admissions, said the site wanted to attract more applications from pupils who come from disadvantaged backgrounds.

"Sometimes they don't get the right support at the right time so we want to be here for them," she said.

"The energy at the festival has been absolutely amazing.

"I think at the end of the first day our academics, who rarely get tired of answering questions, were absolutely exhausted."

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