High Commissioner Charles Hay hosted a reception for 45 Malaysian Chevening scholars who recently completed post-graduate studies in Britain under the Chevening Scholarships programme.

High Commissioner Charles Hay with the returning Malaysian Chevening alumni

The scholars have graduated from various disciplines in prestigious institutions such as the University of Oxford, University of St Andrews and London School of Economics.

At the event, Yayasan Khazanah announced they are extending their continued support as a Chevening partner by sponsoring 5 awards each year until 2022/23.

Highlighting strength of the UK-Malaysia partnership in education, Hay said:

The UK’s departure from the EU will not affect the strong education partnership between the UK and Malaysia. The ongoing Chevening programme is a great example of how the UK continues to invest in Malaysia’s brightest and best. The continued support of our Chevening partners in Malaysia is also testament to the strength of our education partnership. I am pleased that Yayasan Khazanah have extended their partnership to sponsor five awards for an additional three years.

Shahira Ahmed Bazari, Managing Director, Yayasan Hasanah said:

We are proud to have been a partner with the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office to manage jointly this prestigious Chevening-Khazanah scholarship programme since 2016, benefiting 15 scholars thus far. It is my hope that this partnership will continue to assist Yayasan Khazanah in its goal of nurturing talent and turning them into leaders for Malaysia.

Hay added:

The 45 Malaysian scholars from the 2018/19 batch who have returned to Malaysia have now joined the 1,800-strong Malaysian Chevening alumni.

Notable Chevening alumnus in Malaysia include Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador and former Managing Director of Khazanah Nasional Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar. There are 51,000 Chevening alumni worldwide.

Returning scholar Ennie Yong, who has obtained a Masters in Autism from the University of Strathclyde, said:

Studying in UK through Chevening Scholarship has given me new and wider perspectives in supporting and advocating for individuals with autism. I had opportunities to engage with the National Autism Implementation Team, individuals with autism, advocacy organisations and city council as well as representatives from public spaces (museum and cinema), which has given me new insights on the importance of collaboration in policy implementation. Thus, I hope to seek more avenues to collaborate with various parties in Malaysia so that we can create more sound policies and accepting communities in supporting and including the individuals with autism and their families.

Anna Tan, who completed her post-graduate studies in Creative Writing (The Novel) at Brunel University, said:

Living in one of the publishing capitals of the world has afforded me the opportunity to attend, and be involved in, many book- and publishing-related activities, from cozy book clubs to overwhelming conventions. I hope to be able to synthesise all this with our local communities to come up with programmes that benefit both readers and authors in Malaysia.

Jo-Yee Yap who studied Economics at University College London:

During my Chevening year, I have picked up bits of Arabic phrases from a long dinner with a fellow Iraqi Chevener as well as stubborn curry stains on a scarf from one of the many Malaysian makan gatherings, and I know that through the eyes of my friends, I now see things I would never have seen. I took the scholarship with aspirations of returning to Malaysia and make it better for the marginalised. The one-year masters has made me more willing to challenge myself, and able to see my surroundings from the perspective of others. I hope to translate these qualities, along with the knowledge I’ve gained, into my work.

The Chevening award is the UK government’s global scholarship programme offered by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. In addition to funding from the British government, the Chevening Scholarships are also currently co-funded by partners like The Prudence Foundation, Yayasan Khazanah, CIMB, Jeffrey Cheah Foundation and UK educational institutions.

Published 26 February 2020