ISLAMABAD - British High Commissioner Jane Marriott celebrated the Pakistanis who were awarded Chevening and Commonwealth scholarships. This year, the UK awarded Chevening scholarships to 46 outstanding Pakistani scholars through a highly competitive selection process. This includes two female Hindu students and one trans woman.
Twenty-three Commonwealth scholars have also been selected from Pakistan, with 21 scholars pursuing a Master’s program and two pursuing a PhD program. These brilliant scholars were selected from across Pakistan. To honour the legacy of the late human rights champion Asma Jahangir, the British High Commissioner presented the Asma Jahangir Award to the top-ranking female Chevening scholar of the year. This year, there was a tie, and three talented females received this award, including Anila Yousaf and Zaitoon Kareem from Baluchistan, and Varsha Deepak from Sindh. 
The British High Commission launched the award in 2018, and since then, nine female Chevening scholars have been awarded the Asma Jahangir Scholarship.
This is the first year that the UK is offering Chevening scholarships provided by partners in the UK. The first is with Swindon Town Football Club, offering a 1-year Master’s degree in Football Coaching or Science at either Solent University or the University Campus of Football Business at Wembley Stadium. The second is with the University of Essex, offering two scholarships in either climate change or heritage and museum studies.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said: “In this auspicious year of the 40th anniversary of the Chevening program, I am proud that we are sending 69 Pakistani students to the UK through the Chevening and Commonwealth scholarships. The UK is renowned for its world-class higher education, and these scholarships will benefit some of Pakistan’s brightest students. In turn, Pakistan will benefit from these students when they return to Pakistan and contribute to various sectors. They join over 2,000 Chevening and over 1,500 Commonwealth alumni in Pakistan, themselves a testament to the strength of the UK-Pakistan relationship.”
The scholars have chosen a diverse range of fields and institutions for their studies, including education, social justice, architectural engineering, and sustainability, all aimed at addressing pressing global challenges and fostering innovation.
Applications for Chevening Scholarships to study in the UK for 2024-25 will open on September 12th and close on November 7th. To find out more about eligibility and to apply, visit www.chevening.org. The applications for the Commonwealth Scholarships for 2024/25 are expected to open in late October or early November 2023.