The British High Commissioner to Zambia James Thornton has announced a substantial increase of the number of places for Zambians who wish to apply to the Chevening Scholarship programme to study in the UK.
At a pre-departure briefing event for two Zambian Chevening Scholars on August 21st 2014, Mr Thornton announced that 14 Chevening scholarships will be awarded to Zambians for 2014/2015 compared to the 2 offered this year.
The High Commissioner also urged scholars and fellows to join the newly revived Chevening Alumni Association.
Mr Thornton declared: “Britain has a global reputation for excellence in the field of education and skills, rooted in our centuries-old yet forward-looking educational system. It’s a tradition of learning that we continue to share with the world, including Zambia. An assessment last year indicated that four of the six best universities in the world were British».
He also recalled that Zambians who had studied in the UK’s top universities are now contributing significantly to the country’s development, giving examples of Zambian Chevening Scholars serving in top positions: Justice Florence Lengalenga, Supreme Court Judge; Stephen Kampyongo, Home Affairs Deputy Minister; and Chibamba Kanyama, former Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation Director General and now working at the IMF.
Chevening and its predecessor schemes have been operating in Zambia since 1983 and over 150 Zambians have studied in the UK under the Chevening Scheme.
During the last academic year, 700 Chevening scholars from 110 countries studied in the UK.
Other schemes available to Zambians include Commonwealth Scholarships, Rhodes, Beit Trust, Cannon Collins and Africa Fellowship Trust scholarships.
