Four Harvard students and a recent graduate are among the 40 American students chosen to spend two years in the United Kingdom as British Marshall Scholars, an official confirmed yesterday.

Current seniors Adam E. Cohen of Winthrop House, Sarah E. Lewis of Mather House, Davesh Maulik of Quincy House and Kevin S. Schwartz of Kirkland House, and graduate Daniel B. Baer '00, formerly of Quincy House, will begin their studies at British universities next fall.

Seven current and former Harvard students won the prize last year.

Baer said he intends to study international relations at the University of Oxford, in order to pursue a degree in law.

Hailing from Littleton, Colo., Baer concentrated jointly in social studies and in Afro-American studies. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and was named a Truman Scholar.

He said that Oxford will be an inspiring setting for his studies.

"Part of what captures me is the romantic vision of spires and gothic architecture," he said.

Maulik, from Roslyn, N.Y., is a mathematics concentrator, a member of Phi Beta Kappa and a Goldwater Scholar. Although he said his plans are subject to change, he hopes to pursue master's degrees in math and biology in order to study the overlap between the two fields.

Maulik said that one of his chief inducements for applying was the opportunity to travel and "a real chance to explore the options" of the English lifestyle and academic world.

Schwartz, also of Roslyn, concentrates in government and is also a Crimson editor. A member of Phi Beta Kappa and a Truman Scholar, he received the Bonaparte Prize for academic excellence in the government department.

He plans to study for a master's in politics at Oxford, which is "world-renowned for politics administration," he said. Schwartz, who is writing his senior thesis comparing politics in America and Britain, said that postgraduate study in Britain would complement the "amazing" preparation of Harvard's government department.

Cohen, a native of New York City, is a joint concentrator in chemistry and physics and is also a Goldwater Scholar. He plans to attend the University of Cambridge, where he will take part in research in physics and biology, although he said he has not decided which degree to pursue.

Lewis, also of New York City, jointly concentrates in social studies and history of art and architecture. She plans to earn a master of fine arts degree in painting from London's Slade School of Arts before pursuing a master's degree in art at Oxford. She said she looks forward to "three years of freedom" and to working toward her goal of running a museum.

Lewis said she particularly looks forward to the environment England offers for cross-cultural analysis of the work of minority artists.

The Marshall Scholarships are awarded by the British government as a token of thanks for the U.S. Marshall Plan, which provided aid to Britain after World War II. The scholarships aim to foster understanding and amity between the two nations by supporting two years of study at British universities for American students.

The Marshall Scholarships "point the way to the continuation and growth of the understanding which found its necessity in the terrible struggle of the war years," General George C. Marshall told the first class of Marshall Scholars in 1954.

"From the perspective of the Marshalls, it's a thank-you for the Marshall aid," said MIT Professor Linn W. Hobbs, who chairs the Northeast region selection committee. Hobbs confirmed the names of the Harvard winners.

Hobbs said that the Marshall, like the privately-administered Rhodes Scholarship, attracts students with "a high level of academic prowess." He added that this year's pool had qualifications that are "extremely and uniformly high."

According to Hobbs, Marshall scholars often go on to become "leaders in their fields of endeavor." Former scholars include Supreme Court Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer and Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt.