Chevening Scholars welcomed to Northern Ireland

Employment and Learning Minister, Maria Eagle, today welcomed this year’s Chevening Scholars to Northern Ireland.

Chevening Scholarships are prestigious awards which enable overseas students to study in the UK. They are on offer in more than 150 countries and enable tomorrow’s leaders from overseas to become familiar with the UK, our institutions and companies, links which can continue throughout their careers.

Speaking at a reception in Adelaide House, Belfast for the Chevening Scholars, the Minister praised the Programme, highlighting its importance in developing long-term relationships between UK institutions and the international community.

The Minister said of the scheme:  “Chevening is an inspirational programme that continues to enjoy remarkable success.  Not only is it the flagship programme of the Government’s Scholarship scheme, it has for many years, been one of the UK’s most effective means of creating and developing long-lasting relationships with the international community.”

Addressing this year’s Chevening Scholars studying in Northern Ireland, the Minister said:  “To be a Chevening Scholar carries with it a certain weight of responsibility – but it is a responsibility of distinction.  You are not only a young ambassador for your country abroad, you also have that extra quality that will distinguish you and your achievements in your field of expertise.”

The Minister also paid tribute to the role of the British Council in the delivery of Chevening, saying:  “As with any Programme, a cornerstone of its success is its administration and delivery and I would like to thank the British Council for their outstanding work in managing the immense amount of groundwork.”

The event was also attended by representatives from the higher education institutions in Northern Ireland, who host the scholars and from the British Council, who manage the programme on behalf of the Government.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

  1. The Department for Employment and Learning provides financial support annually towards the Chevening programme.
  2. An increase by 1,000 in the number of Chevening Scholarships is one of the four elements of the Prime Minister’s Initiative (PMI), launched in June 1999, designed to attract more international students to the UK.
  3. Organised by the British Council the Chevening programme currently provides more than 2,200 new scholarships each year for postgraduate study or research at UK higher education institutions. Most Chevening Scholarships are for one-year Master’s courses or equivalent, but some are for shorter, specialised courses lasting 3-6 months.
  4. Candidates are selected by British Diplomatic Missions overseas and the British Council, on behalf of the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO), administers scholarships overseas and in the UK.
  5. Media enquiries to the Department for Employment and Learning Press Office on 028 9025 7872.