Oxford Farming Conference Bursary 2025 Recipient Announced

Royal Welsh Agricultural Society Awards 2025 Oxford Farming Conference Bursary
The Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS) is pleased to announce Dr. Cennydd Owen Jones as the recipient of the 2025 RWAS Bursary, enabling him to attend the prestigious Oxford Farming Conference, held from January 8-10, 2025. The conference, themed “Facing Change, Finding Opportunity,” is a significant gathering for thought leaders and innovators across the agricultural, rural, and food sectors, known for its influential debates and high-caliber speakers.
The RWAS Bursary is awarded annually to a candidate aged 25 to 35 who is actively working within a land-based industry. Candidates must not be students and must not have received a RWAS Scholarship or Society Student Award within the last three years. As part of the bursary, Dr. Jones will also have the opportunity to contribute an article for the 2025 Society Journal, sharing insights from the conference with RWAS members.
Following a rigorous interview process with a panel comprising RWAS representatives Esyllt Ellis Griffiths, Jonathan Hugh Davies, and the 2024 bursary winner Glenn Lloyd, Dr. Jones emerged as this year’s selected candidate. Each county-nominated applicant brought unique perspectives and demonstrated an inspiring commitment to the future of agriculture and rural communities. The judges commended the high caliber and passion of all candidates, which included:

Dr. Cennydd Owen Jones is a Grassland Management lecturer at Aberystwyth University. His research, particularly his work on environmental sources of Bovine TB in Wales, has significantly contributed to advancements in Welsh agriculture. Additionally, he supervises numerous research projects at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, focusing on various aspects of Grassland Management. Alongside his academic career, Dr. Jones is a hands-on partner in the family farm, where he oversees the milking of 80 cows on a grassland system with minimal inputs.
The RWAS extends its congratulations to Dr. Jones and looks forward to the valuable insights he will bring back from the Oxford Farming Conference, contributing to the future development of Welsh agriculture and the wider rural industry.