The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the UK and the University of Essex signed an agreement on June 12, 2023, to provide a new Chevening scholarship pathway for prospective Pakistani scholars.
From August 8, 2023, those wishing to undertake a one-year master’s degree in the select fields of Climate Change/Sustainability or Heritage/Museum studies in the United Kingdom will now be able to apply through a bespoke programme with the University of Essex, via the Chevening website.
Both of the available fields Climate Change/Sustainability and Heritage/Museum studies are highly relevant to Pakistan given last year’s devastating floods, linked to climate change, which left 10% of the country submerged, affecting 33 million people.
The floods also adversely affected the country’s rich cultural heritage, with damage inflicted on the UNESCO heritage site of Moenjodaro, the Amri Site museum and the Sehwan folk and craft museum amongst others.
“Chevening represents the very best of the UK-Pakistan partnership”
This new scholarship pathway will offer long-term capacity building support. At the signing ceremony, Development Director at the British High Commission Islamabad, Jo Moir, said: “This partnership is a unique opportunity for mid-career professionals working on Climate Change and Sustainability, and Heritage and Museum Studies, to pursue their master’s degrees at Essex University.”
Moir said that “Chevening represents the very best of the UK-Pakistan partnership. It is a transformative experience, not just for the individual, but also for Pakistan, as scholars return and use the benefit of their UK experience to make a positive difference in their chosen field.”
Chevening is the UK Government’s scholarship programme. Since 1983, around 2,000 Pakistani have been awarded the Chevening Scholarship. The online application window will open on 8 August 2023, to receive applications for the next academic year 2024-25.
Thrilled to announce a new 🇬🇧@CheveningFCDO & @Uni_of_Essex scholarship pathway for 🇵🇰 Master's students in 🏛️ Heritage/Museum Studies & 🌲Climate Change/Sustainability. Chevening alumni use their 🇬🇧experience to be change-makers in 🇵🇰. @ukinpakistan pic.twitter.com/VL2pNCsW4R
— Jo Moir (@jomoir) June 12, 2023
Program at University of Essex
Professor David O’Mahony, Dean for Partnerships at the University of Essex, said that the university has a long history of welcoming talented students from Pakistan to study, research, and grow within the vibrant international community at our University.
“We also have a long and proud tradition of welcoming talented students from around the world through the Chevening Scholarship scheme, and therefore the University of Essex is delighted to be the first UK University to offer Chevening Partnership Scholarships for Pakistan.”
To coincide with the signing of the Chevening-Essex MoU, the program is inviting applications for postgraduate Master’s scholarships covering one of two fields:
- Heritage and Museums Studies
- Climate Change/Sustainability
The university has an international reputation in these areas and have just been ranked 56th in the world in the Times Higher Education Global Impact Rankings which highlight the leading universities for promoting the UN Sustainability Development Goals.