Applications for Chevening scholarships for 2016-17 are now open. Chevening is the British government’s scholarship to study a one-year master’s course in a British university. You can apply here. Don’t worry; you don’t have to rush as you’ve got until the beginning of November to complete your application. But do make sure your application is really well-written and well-evidenced as you will be competing against a lot of other very good students and there aren’t enough scholarships for all applicants. This year (2015-16) we had more than a hundred candidates for the fifteen scholarships we finally awarded; I expect we’ll get just as many candidates for 2016-17.
Not yet convinced the UK is the right place for you to study? Here are three very good reasons why it is.
- The UK is a young, vibrant, dynamic, diverse, exciting country. It’s a great place to be despite the sky often not being as blue as it is in Cuba. The mix of people, cultures and communities makes it a fascinating place to live. It’s innovative and inventive and big on design (think Timothy Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, Jonathan Ive, Chief of Design at Apple, James Dyson’s vacuum cleaners and fans, The Shard). It’s online and modern – read some of the blogs by current and past Cuban Chevening scholars to see how they have adapted to running their lives by smartphone. And, of course, it’s also got a very rich history which is fascinating to explore.
The Dyson Fan – a great example of British innovation and design - In today’s world – globalised, connected and international – the English language has become almost as important as the smartphone in your pocket. Across the world, it’s the main language of business. Online it’s number one. For Cuba, it’s part of the present and the future. The government’s drive to attract foreign investment, the recent rapprochement between the US and Cuba and the rising number of tourists all make the ability to communicate well in English an important skill for any go-getting Cuban. Of course you don’t have to go to the UK to learn English – lots of other countries speak a perfectly acceptable version of our national tongue – but ask yourself this; if you want to perfect your English, why not study in the country of birth of Shakespeare, Harold Pinter, the Beatles and Adele?
Presentation on Chevening, Havana July 2015 - Finally, British universities are world-class. Out of the top ten in the world, four are British (here’s the ranking if you want to check – it’s actually four in the top six but I didn’t want to sound too immodest). The teaching in British universities is top-notch, the student body, particularly for masters courses, often international. Originality, challenge, rigor, entrepreneurialism are all encouraged. You need to work hard to do well. But you wouldn’t be there if you didn’t have the potential to succeed.
Persuaded? I hope so. What sort of people are we looking for? You need to have good academic results, two years’ work experience, be self-confident and committed, have an idea how you will use your study in the UK to help develop Cuba and most of all, be passionate about what you do and able to demonstrate how you can change things for the better in your area of expertise. Want to know more? Please read the blogs by Aimée, Yuleidy, Carlos and Elena.
I look forward to seeing your application.