OU Awarded Ninth Davis Cup for Enrollment of United World College International Freshmen

NORMAN, OKLA. – For the ninth time in the last 10 years, the University of Oklahoma has been awarded the Davis Cup in recognition of its enrollment of Davis United World College international freshmen, with 79 Davis UWC Scholars in the OU Class of 2026. The Davis UWC Scholars Program is the world’s largest privately funded international scholarship program.

OU also boasts the largest total enrollment of Davis United World College Scholars in the United States, with 304 scholars representing 109 countries. While nearly 100 American higher education institutions participate in the global initiative, including Yale, Harvard, Duke and Princeton, OU is the only public university in the nation to ever receive the honor.

“We are incredibly proud of the Davis UWC Scholars Program’s longstanding success at OU,” said OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. “Davis Scholars are leaders and change-makers with the talent and motivation to make our world a better place. That’s precisely what they do during their time at OU by leaving a meaningful and lasting impact that benefits our entire university community.”

The first United World College was established in 1962, with the vision of building cross-cultural understanding. Today, there are 18 United World Colleges on five continents, educating students from more than 150 countries. Students are selected by independent committees from around the globe to attend their multinational United World College, where they finish their last two years of secondary education, participating in the rigorous International Baccalaureate curriculum. From there, many apply to and attend a Davis UWC Scholars Program partner college or university in the United States. 

At OU, Davis UWC Scholars are known for not only being outstanding students but also exceptional members of the university community. OU enrolled its first UWC Scholars in 2008. These students have received recognition as members of the President’s Leadership Class, President’s Community Scholars and as Outstanding Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors. They have served in a variety of leadership roles, including as Ronnie K. Irani Center for the Creation of Economic Wealth team leaders, International Advisory Committee executive officers and as resident advisers.

“Equipped with a variety of skills, interests and experiences, we are both empowered, and supported, by the UWC Scholars Program to keep enriching the spaces we occupy and impacting those we share them with,” said Azra Fifić, a Davis UWC Scholar from Bosnia and Herzegovina and graduate assistant in the Department of Interior Design. “Being an international student is by no means easy, and having that second family on campus has made it much easier for me, and their encouragement has helped me grow and succeed in ways I couldn't imagine before arriving to OU. All of us are truly grateful to have such a special place and program on our campus.”

Since 2008, OU has received more than $50 million from the Davis UWC Scholars Program in support of student scholarships.

“Congratulations to OU on its unprecedented leadership in expanding educational opportunities for UWC graduates from throughout the world,” said Shelby Davis and Phil Geier, co-founders of the Davis UWC Scholars Program. “Your commitment is exemplary, and you set the highest standard for partnership in the Davis UWC Scholar Program. You have once again – for the ninth time – won the Davis Cup.”