12 Pinoys, most ever, receive Chevening scholarships to study in UK

The British government granted to 12 Filipinos the prestigious Chevening Scholarship to study at renowned educational institutions in the United Kingdom. In a report posted on the website of the British Embassy in Manila, British Ambassador Stephen Lillie said, “I’m always impressed by the high quality of scholars coming from the Philippines." Lillie congratulated the scholars personally during a send-off reception at his official residence on August 30. "I’m delighted that this year we’re able to offer a record number of Chevening Scholarships in this country. It’s a sign of the importance that we attach to our dynamic links with the Philippines,” Lillie said. 12 scholars

• has been working at the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation;
• currently teaching Juvenile Justice and Delinquency at De La Salle University-Dasmarinas;
• will be studying Master of Laws in Criminal Justice at the University of Kent.

• has worked on judicial reform projects;
• has served the Philippine Supreme Court as a law clerk and an information officer;
• will be studying Master of Laws in Development and Governance at the School of Oriental and African Studies.

• has been working at the Office of the Undersecretary for International Economic Relations, Department of Foreign Affairs;
• will be studying Masters in International Political Economy at King’s College London.

• has been working as a junior consultant at Hybridigm Consulting, the Philippines’ first and only biotechnology consulting firm;
• will be studying Masters in Bioscience Enterprise at the University of Cambridge.

• has been working as a business journalist at BusinessWorld for four years;
• will be studying Masters in International Relations-International Political Economy at the University of Birmingham.

• worked as a court attorney at the Office of then Associate Justice, now Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno;
• Lee's main responsibilities included reviewing researching local and foreign laws, drafting court decisions and resolutions;
• will be studying Master of Laws in Public International Law at the Queen Mary, University of London.

• a human rights lawyer specializing in indigenous peoples rights and environmental law;
• was a senior law clerk for then Associate Justice, now Chief Justice Maria Loudes Sereno; Muhi will be studying Masters of Laws, with specialization in Environmental Law at the Queen Mary University of London.

• worked as an advisory associate in the Corporate Finance practice of FTI Consulting and a corporate finance lecturer at the Mapua Institute of Technology;
• will be studying Master of Finance at the University of Cambridge.

• worked as a court attorney at the Office of then Associate Justice, now Chief Justice Maria Lourdes P. A. Sereno;
• Ramos drafted legal memoranda for human rights cases, especially those on extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances;
• will be studying Master of Laws in Public International Law at Queen Mary University of London.

• he is an active member and officer of the Insan Islamic Assembly and the Young Moro Professionals Network, both NGOs working for human rights, environment, values transformation, education for youth, and peace and development in Mindanao;
• will be studying Master of Science in Sustainable Environment Development with Management Studies at Kingston University – London.

• worked as a Program Coordinator at the Zuellig Center, one of the research centers of the Asian Institute of Management;
• managed the Center’s Good Governance in Health and Health Technology Assessment programs;
• will be studying Master of Science in Public Health (Health Economics) at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London.

• principal designer and partner of the architecture company C+Y Design Studio that focuses on in commercial and residential design;
• will be studying Masters in Environmental Design and Engineering at Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London.

The Chevening scholarships are granted by the British government through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The scholarships are named after Chevening House, an Official Residence of the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, a country house in the county of Kent. The Chevening Programme was launched in 1983, and the first scholars started their studies in 1984. The Chevening Scholarships were originally called the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Scholarships and Awards Scheme. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) now awards over 500 scholarships every year. There are over 32,000 alumni worldwide.    

Addressing the Filipino scholars this year, Lillie said, “Our educational institutions are among the most sought after in the world. Many of the world’s very best universities are in the UK." "We hope you will take the unique opportunities that your Chevening Scholarships present to bring back home what you’ve learned and continue what you’ve started in making a difference here in your country,” Lillie added. - VVP/HS, GMA News