Prestigious UK scholarships up for grabs

(CNS): Local graduates now have the opportunityto apply for the internationally renowned Chevening Scholarships, a global education award from the UK government. The Scholarships, which are funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations, and awarded to exceptional individuals, operate in over 100 countries worldwide, and now support about 700 students annually. Typically for a one-year Master’s degree, in any subject and at any UK university, they are aimed particularly at high quality candidates who are likely to assume leadership roles in their future careers.

There are no age limits, but candidates who have already demonstrated leadership potential will be particularly welcome.  There is strong competition for the limited number of scholarships that are offered each year, local officials said.
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office stated that the scholarship offers a unique opportunity.
“It enables talented individuals to establish social, cultural, academic or commercial partnerships with the UK,” it said. The FCO has also launched a global website, www.chevening.org, making the scholarships more accessible.
Chevening alumni have an excellent record of rising to positions of leadership across a wide range of fields: including politics, business, the media, civil society, religion, and academia. Some work as MPs, leading journalists, or policy advisers to NGOs and think tanks; others occupy senior positions in commercial organisations. Alumni include Baldwin Spencer, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda; Anote Tong, the President of Kiribati and Alvaro Uribe Velez, the former President of Colombia.
Over the past eighteen years, some 25 Caymanians have received Chevening scholarships for postgraduate study in Britain.  Previous scholars have returned to the Cayman Islands to take up employment in a number of Government Departments and elsewhere.  The Chevening programme is administered locally by the Governor’s Office.
Completed applications must be submitted online using the www.chevening.org website by Saturday 1 December 2012.  Late applications will not be accepted.  Please contact Gill Skinner (+1 345 244 2431 or Gillian.Skinner@fco.gov.uk) or Tom Hines (+1 345 244 2434 or Tom.Hines@fco.gov.uk) at the Governor’s Office if you have any questions.