Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: As many as 115 Pakistani students received fully funded scholarships through Chevening Scholarship in top five universities of the UK, British High Commission Islamabad Head of Communications Samuel Heath said on Wednesday.

He was speaking at a press conference regarding a large number of Chevening scholarships announced by the UK government for various countries of the world, including Pakistan.

Samuel Heath said that 172 students were going to LSE, the most popular choice for Chevening scholars, adding that 115 students went to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, both of which are best varsities in the world.

“New data from the British High Commission shows that students from Pakistan are going to the very best universities in the world thanks to the Chevening Scholarship,” he said.

He revealed that according to the Times Higher Education, the five best universities in the UK are the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London and the London School of Economics and Political Science, and added that the University of Oxford tops the list of the best universities in the world

The same five universities are the most popular universities for students who received fully funded Chevening scholarships. A total of 172 students from across the globe went to the world famous London School of Economics, 69 went to Imperial College London, 66 went to SOAS University of London – which specialises in Asian studies – 64 went to University of Cambridge, 51 went to the University of Oxford and 51 went to University College London.

Samuel Heath further said, “We are delighted to see that Pakistani Chevening scholars are getting world class teaching in world class institutions with world class facilities, alongside the best and brightest students across the UK and the rest of the world.” “We are proud that the UK remains one of the world’s top destinations for Pakistani and other international students. The people-to-people links between our countries and the UK’s welcoming environment make it ideal for international students,” he added. He announced that the Chevening application in Pakistan for the next academic year is now is open, adding that he urges eligible applicants lo apply to study at the world’s best universities.

According to the details, Chevening scholarships are the UK government’s global scholarship programme. The scholarships support study at UK universities – mostly one-year master’s degrees – to individuals with demonstrable potential to become future leaders, decision-makers and opinion formers.

Chevening began in 1983 and has developed into a prestigious international awards scheme. Chevening scholars come from over 160 countries and territories worldwide (excluding the US and the EU) and more than 1,500 scholarships were awarded in 2016/2017. There are over 46,000 Chevening alumni around the world who compose an influential and highly regarded global network.

Published in Daily Times, August 31^st 2017.