British Council announces STEM scholarships for 2023-24

ISLAMABAD – (Nasir Abbas,Adnan Hameed)The British Council Pakistan announced the third cohort of Scholarships for Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). Over 100 scholarships are available to women STEM scholars from Asia and the Americas to pursue a masters’ degree in the UK, out of which 48 scholarships are reserved for women STEM scholars from Pakistan and other South Asian countries, awarded on a merit basis with no country-specific cap. The scholarships will help enhance careers in STEM for the selected women scholars and enable them to promote research and innovation in their home country through their exposure to the expertise in the UK’s renowned STEM fields. Partnering with 21 universities across the UK, the scholarship scheme will provide scholars a fully-funded master’s degree or an Early Academic Fellowship at a UK university, including covering tuition fees, stipend, travel costs, visa, health coverage fees, special support for mothers and English language support. The scholarships will also provide the scholars a long-lasting platform to connect with the UK through active engagement in the alumni network and inspire the next generation of women in STEM. In the last cohort 115 scholars were selected globally which included 15 women scholars from Pakistan. Amir Ramzan, Country Director, British Council Pakistan, said: “The UK has a world-renowned higher education sector that is truly international. These scholarships will enable talented women to take up a life-changing opportunity to develop their careers in their chosen STEM fields, and then to harness the experience to make a greater impact for good when they return home. Last year’s scholars from Pakistan studied in exciting and diverse areas including Digital Health Systems, Data and Decision Analytics, Virtual and Augmented Reality and Environmental Sustainability. I would highly encourage talented women from across Pakistan to apply for this scholarship at the earliest.” The scholarship is also open to women with dependants to apply, with extra support. The deadline for application differs according to university – but are between March and May 2023. Students are encouraged to check individual university deadlines. For more details about the eligibility criteria for the scholarship, or other information including a full list of participating UK universities, available courses and university-specific deadlines, please visit: www.britishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/in-uk/scholarship-women-stem ENDS NOTES FOR THE EDITOR According to data from the UN Scientific Education and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), fewer than 30 percent of researchers worldwide are women and only 30 percent of female students select STEM-related fields in higher education. Globally, female students’ enrolment is particularly low in Information and Communications Technology (three percent), natural science, mathematics and statistics (five percent), and engineering, manufacturing and construction (eight percent). FAQs What does the Scholarship scheme cover? The British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM includes tuition fees, stipend, travel costs, visa and health coverage fees. The scholarship also has a special support for mothers. When is the deadline to apply? Deadline for application to chosen course and scholarship will be between March and May 2023. These may vary depending on the institution. Further information is available on the website. Can women with children apply to the scholarship? Yes, special support will be given to women travelling with dependent children. Where can I find more information regarding the scholarship? You can visit our British Council webpage that contains general information about the scholarship, and the link to each participating university: www.britishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/in-uk/scholarship-women-stem Who can I contact regarding the scholarship? Each university has a link and a named contact. All details are provided on the scholarship web page. If you wish to contact the British Council you can send an email to UK.Scholarships@britishcouncil.org Which masters are included in the scheme? Each university has published a list of masters that scholars can apply to. Please refer to the web page of the university for the full list of programmes available. Is there an age limit to apply? No, there is no age limit for this scholarship. Which are the eligible countries? You have to be a citizen of one of the following countries to apply: South Asia: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, & Sri Lanka. Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Peru & Venezuela. East Asia: Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand & Vietnam. How many scholarships are there? There are over 100 scholarships available for courses starting in Autumn 2023. There are 45 scholarsh