Chevening | Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Blogs

20th September 2019 Beirut, Lebanon

British Ambassador to Lebanon

12 months in Lebanon: ‘It can sometimes be hard to stay optimistic … but here’s why I do’

This time last year was one of the highlights of my career – presenting Queen Elizabeth’s letter to President Aoun that nominated me as Ambassador. The anniversary has allowed reflection on the year: for Lebanon, and for the UK. My first 12 months in Lebanon has been remarkable. Rolls Royce and MEA signed our largest […]

28th August 2019 Skopje, North Macedonia

Rachel Galloway

British Ambassador to North Macedonia

Poetry, education, diverse cultures and traditions – my first visit to Struga

As much as I enjoy living and working in Skopje, it’s always a great pleasure when I get to visit other places across the country. Last week I had the honour of attending the opening of the Struga Poetry Festival, the world’s oldest consecutive running poetry festival. It was moving to hear poets from around […]

25th October 2018 Skopje, North Macedonia

Dominic Otway

Deputy Head of Mission

Why Chevening?

This is my first blog as deputy ambassador at the British Embassy here in Skopje, and I want to use it to highlight one of the favourite parts of my job as a British diplomat: the opportunities the British government offer to fund postgraduate study at a UK university. For the past 25 years the UK […]

They are Chevening

One of the most important events of our annual Chevening Scholarships calendar is the orientation day, held on Saturday at the ExCel Centre in London’s Docklands, when new Chevening scholars learnt more about the year that awaited them, had the opportunity to debate key issues from climate change to artificial intelligence, and heard from such […]

5th September 2018 Hanoi

by Gareth Ward

British Ambassador to Vietnam

UK education has something for everyone

I’ve only been Ambassador here in Vietnam for a month, but that’s long enough to pick up on the importance of education. As a society with a Confucian history, I can see that study is valued highly, even if things have changed a lot in the millenium since Hanoi’s Temple of Literature first tested scholars against […]

23rd October 2017 Skopje, North Macedonia

Nadire Latifi

Chevening scholar from Macedonia 2016/2017

The 10 Downing Street impressions of a Chevening scholar from Macedonia

The Chevening programme does not only help its scholars complete their dreams – it offers them the possibility to experience the undreamed. More than financial support, this scholarship gave me a prestigious identity along with many privileges and opportunities. One of them was definitely the exclusive chance to visit 10 Downing Street, the residence and […]

7th September 2017 Abuja, Nigeria

Jibikeoluwa Faborode

Chevening Programme Officer

Chevening in Nigeria – A Programme Officer’s Perspective

I took up the Chevening portfolio in September 2015, a decision I have never regretted making. My passion for Chevening is so intense; I’m often asked if I’m an alumnus. Saddled with the task of administering and promoting this programme year-round in Nigeria, I find myself selling an opportunity that I know is absolutely priceless […]

10th August 2017

by Edward Ferguson

British Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina

This post was published when the author was in a previous role

Would you like to study in the UK?

Have you heard about Chevening? It’s the UK’s world-beating scholarship programme for international students. It allows you to study for a Masters degree of your choice at any university in the UK. You do the work, and we cover the costs, including your tuition fees and travel costs. We even pay for your living expenses! […]

13th April 2017 Kolkata, India

by Bruce Bucknell

Former British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata

Interviews for an education

There are many ways of gaining an education. Apart from the usual places like school, college and university, I’m a fan of travel and seeing new places (which partly explains why I became a diplomat). Meeting people who have very different lives can teach you a lot. And for a lucky few, there is all […]

31st March 2017 Kolkata, India