The UK Government’s prestigious Chevening scholarship has been awarded to 39 Malaysian nationals to pursue postgraduate studies in the UK in the 2022/23 academic year.
The Chevening award is the UK Government’s global scholarship programme, funded and administered by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office. This is complemented by sponsorships by Malaysian corporate partners including CIMB Group Holdings Berhad, Yayasan Khazanah and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. British universities also provide additional funding in support of the Chevening programme.
His Excellency Charles Hay MVO, British High Commissioner to Malaysia, said: “Malaysia’s growing appetite for higher education in the UK is reflected in the increase in Chevening Scholarships applications. This is just one example of how education remains the most enduring aspects of the UK-Malaysia relationship.”
The current batch of scholars will be heading to the UK as early as September this year to pursue a wide range of postgraduate programmes at top UK universities, including subjects such as climate change, law, public policy, public health and filmmaking.
Scholar Shimri Lim, who is attending University of Birmingham to study trauma science MSc, said: “I am extremely excited about the opportunity to learn from leading experts in trauma care at the University of Birmingham which has a joint civilian and military trauma centre based in Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
“The one year with Chevening is an unparalleled platform to build professional relationships which I am determined to utilise to the fullest for the benefit of Malaysia and the UK. The Masters in Trauma Science will equip me with the necessary knowledge to further improve the health services of the Malaysian armed forces. Chevening has enabled me to be one step closer to my goal of providing state-of-the-art trauma care for the Malaysian soldiers and our allies.”
Sabahan scholar Russell Rohny, who will be attending the University of Edinburgh to study global mental health and society, added: “My heart is accelerating for the growth that I will experience during the upcoming Chevening journey, especially in making friends with diverse individuals from around the world, challenging my wisdom by diving deeper into interdisciplinary studies, and immersing into the British culture in the heart of Scotland.
“As someone of Iban, Murut and Dusun heritage from Tambunan, Sabah, I will carry my indigenous values with me throughout this one year. Driven by passion and resilience, I want to raise awareness about mental health among the multi-ethnic communities of Sabah. I want to contribute towards formulating sustainable approaches to this issue, nationally and internationally.”
Malaysia is the second largest recipient of Chevening awards in ASEAN and there are already over 1,700 Chevening alumni in Malaysia.
Image by Elly from Pixabay
