ISLAMABAD - The British High Commission (BHC) yesterday announced the launch of the three-month chevening mentoring scheme designed to target women and minorities working for media outlets or as freelance journalists across Pakistan.
Fellows from the flagship Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme (SAJP) will act as mentors for those picked to join the scheme and will share their knowledge and experience with young journalists on one-on-one coaching sessions, as well as group discussions.
The year 2022 marks 75 years of UK-Pakistan relations with a programme of joint activities planned throughout the year. Fouzia Younis, Head of Communications and Public Diplomacy at the British High Commission Islamabad and Mentor and PTV journalist Rasheed Safi have praised the programme and encouraged women and minorities to apply. BBC correspondent Sahar Baloch will also be a mentor.
Aimed at mid-career journalists from South Asian countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, the SAJP is hosted by the University of Westminster and funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office. It offers full programme fees, living expenses for the duration of the fellowship and return economy flight for the UK.
To be eligible for a Chevening SAJP Fellowship, applicants must have at least seven years of work experience before applying.
and a postgraduate level qualification at the time of application and have good working knowledge of English - which may be assessed by a qualified English language assessor.
The British High Commission supports inclusion, education and opportunity for all. Over the years, BHC has made efforts to encourage more women to apply, as a result of which female scholars have risen from just 6% in 2013 to around 60% last year. Selected scholars will join a community of over 50,000 alumni worldwide.