Our 2015/16 Ethiopian Chevening Scholars will be heading off to begin their year’s study at top #UK universities in few weeks’ time. This year we were able to offer places to 12 scholars (11 Ethiopians and one Djiboutian). 
Those who were selected fought off strong competition, making the final cut from over 300 applications. I hosted a departure lunch last week for the successful candidates, a great opportunity for them to meet each other, staff at the Embassy and former scholars to talk about both the opportunities and challenges of going to study in the UK as a foreign student.
For those not familiar with the #Chevening Scholarship programme, this is the #UK government’s flagship scheme for students with potential to be future leaders in their home countries. It was launched in the 1983 and has grown into a prestigious international scheme over the last three decades. Over 200 Ethiopians have been #Chevening scholars since the start of the programme in #Ethiopia in 1992. 
Several of Ethiopia’s current leaders are able to use the experience they gained from their #Chevening studies to contribute to this country’s economic and political development. We were delighted with the news announced by the UK Chancellor last year that the Chevening budget had been tripled, which meant that we could significantly increase the number of scholarship awards this year from the three we awarded last year. The scheme provides funding to study a one-year full time Masters course at any UK University.
As I learnt over lunch, our prospective scholars this year come from a diverse range of backgrounds and are going to be studying some of the most renowned courses at the UK’s top universities (several of which feature in the Top Ten Universities globally). 
This year we have individuals who have worked in diplomacy, on migration issues, at Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) for the Agricultural Transformation Agency, in the legal profession, as lecturers, in the flower export business, for NGOs working on pan-African issues, at the National Planning Commission and as a well-known columnist! Three of them will be studying at Bradford University (where Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen undertook his Chevening Masters some years ago); two at the School of Oriental and African Studies; two at the University of Birmingham; one at the London School of Economics; and one at each of the Universities of Aberdeen, Cardiff, York and Leeds. They are a bright, enthusiastic and ambitious set of individuals; exactly the sort of people we hope will help to drive Ethiopia forward in the coming years.
The programme is not just about academic study, but is an important part of strengthening long-standing cultural ties between Ethiopia and the UK. 
The students will have the opportunity to promote Ethiopia and all the wonderful things about being Ethiopian to British people and other international students while they are in the UK, as well as learning about and experiencing dimensions of British culture which they will bring back here. Over lunch we talked about the wonderful tourism opportunities available, the Ethiopian community in the UK, Anglo-Ethiopian organisations, the challenge of finding good ‘teff’ injera in London and the other cities and plenty more!
I should like to take this opportunity once again to congratulate and wish well the #Chevening scholars from #Ethiopia and #Djibouti for academic year 2015/16 in their various courses. We look forward to hearing how they are doing and seeing the exciting things they are able to achieve once they return to Ethiopia after their studies! Applications are now open for next year’s programme. So if you think you might be able to follow in the shoes of these future leaders then please go to www.chevening.org and apply!