Sixteen Zambians have been awarded Commonwealth Scholarships to undertake postgraduate studies in the UK starting this September.
On 24 August 2017, British Council Zambia on behalf of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK (CSC) hosted a pre-departure briefing for the award recipients at the British High Commission in Lusaka.
Speaking at the event, Fergus Cochrane – Dyet OBE, British High Commissioner to Zambia said, “these sixteen, fortunate Zambians have a wonderful opportunity to study in Britain at some of the best universities in the world. The UK has considerable advantages such as English language and an open, international outlook, which means our universities attract high-calibre students from every corner of the world. Most important of all, Zambia stands to benefit from the knowledge and expertise that the sixteen will bring with them on their return home.”
Wayne Harper, British Council Zambia Country Director said, “the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship programme in Zambia is a truly global programme, with over 30,000 individuals across the Commonwealth having benefited over the years.”
“The first scholar on our records from Zambia is from 1964, and over six hundred Zambians have gone to the UK under the scheme since then. These scholars represent some of the brightest and most dynamic Zambians in the country, and as the British Council we’re very proud that we’ve been able to assist in the development of their careers and their ability to contribute to the development of Zambia.”
The programme is funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and is administered by the British Council and the Association of Commonwealth Universities in the UK (ACU).
To date, over 629 Zambians have benefited from Commonwealth awards, many of them returning to contribute to Zambia’s development and reaching the highest levels of their profession.
Commonwealth Scholarships, which are open to citizens of the Commonwealth, have been running for over fifty years.
The scholarships are targeted at individuals with intellectual ability, leadership potential and a personal commitment to development, providing them with study opportunities in other Commonwealth countries.
The scholarship programme aims to improve skills in the key sectors which drive country development and expose the beneficiaries to international networks.
The sixteen scholarship beneficiaries were congratulated at the British High Commission in Lusaka as they embark on Master’s and PhD programmes at universities across the UK in a variety of disciplines including engineering, public health, economics, media and communication, education and agriculture science among others.
Notably, three of the sixteen scholars have been awarded PhD scholarships, which will provide three years of full support towards the completion of a doctoral postgraduate qualification at a UK university.
Hope they don’t end up working in Nursing Homes looking after the aged.
A lot of them tend to come back and contribute to the Development of this country. Shame on you!
A lot of them don’t return home, people out there take advantage of these opportunities and there are so many scholarships around the globe. Not just bitch in about the useless government of Zambia when you you those morons gonna do sh!t for nobody. Good luck boys and girls in tge UK
Its good to know that the commonwealth is still alive and that it’s offering scholarships. Zambians value education and I honestly dont imagine anyone giving up such an opportunity only to go into care work. However, lets not discredit those who care for the aged … most people in uk do not mind having work experience in an old people’s home whilst they prepare for medical, psychology or social work jobs, to have an idea of what it’s like to care. All jobs are important and we should respect care workers who look after our elderly parents.
Those 16 are from rich families, leaving a poor Zambian like me. Our country is not fair
You are wrong Rejoice. I am not from a rich family but I was selected.