The British High Commission, through its Chevening Scholarship Scheme Secretariat, has organised a 40th anniversary commemoration event to highlight the successes chalked by the scheme since its inception.
Established in 1983, the scheme has enabled young and passionate individuals with leadership qualities from all over the world to pursue a one-year master’s degree in any course at any United Kingdom (UK) university by providing full financial support covering flights, accommodation and course fees, among others.
In Ghana, Chevening has played a pivotal role in nurturing exceptional talent, promoting international collaboration, and fostering leadership among Ghana’s future leaders. It was one of the first countries to be part of the first recipients of the Chevening scholarship; hence, the Chevening Scholarship Scheme is also 40 years old in Ghana.
Over the past four decades, Chevening has granted opportunities to numerous Ghanaian scholars, enabling them to pursue higher education in the United Kingdom and equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to drive positive change in their communities.
The British High Commissioner to Ghana, Harriet Thompson, joined the growing community of Chevening alumni led by Ebenezer Amankwah to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the UK Government’s prestigious scholarship programme.
“Forty years since its launch, Chevening remains one of the most cherished programmes globally. As High Commissioner, it is a joyful reminder of the incredible potential that lies in our youths, the transformative power of the UK’s world-class education institutions, and the remarkable success that can be achieved when countries work in partnership programmes,” she said.
The high commissioner iterated that this 40th anniversary shows the remarkable journey of some of Ghana’s brightest minds, the positive impact they’ve had on making their societies better and their journeys toward becoming global leaders.
President of the Chevening Alumni Association of Ghana Ebenezer Amakwah, on his part, said: “The Chevening journey in Ghana has been a unique leadership experiment and we are happy to be celebrating 40 years this year. Thanks to the support of the Ghana and UK Governments, we shall continue our mandate of transforming lives and creating change in society”.
The celebration also served as a farewell dinner for the 40th cohort of Chevening Scholars. The 40th cohort comprises 17 scholars who were selected among about 5,000 passionate applicants to study in various UK universities this year.
The Chevening Scholarships are the UK Government’s global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), partner organisations, and partner universities. The scholarships support study at UK universities, mostly one-year taught master’s degrees for individuals with demonstrable potential to become future leaders, decision-makers, and opinion formers.
Successful Chevening candidates come from a diverse range of countries and backgrounds, but they all demonstrate the passion, vision and skills needed to shape a better world.
Present at the event were the Alumni Association of Chevening members since inception, government officials, and other key stakeholders.
