More young people will have the chance to benefit from
life-changing scholarships allowing them to study at
universities across the Commonwealth, thanks to a £5
million boost from the Department for Education.
The Education Secretary has announced the additional
investment ahead of an event aimed at helping improve the
quality of girls’ education across the Commonwealth.
Commonwealth Foreign Secretaries will attend the launch of
the Girls’ Education Campaign to encourage a step-change in
the quality of girls’ education globally, as part of this
week’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in
London and Windsor. It is the largest summit of its kind in
UK history and a truly global event with young people at
its centre.
This investment follows the Education Secretary’s
appearance at the Youth Forum earlier this week where HRH
Prince Harry, in his first speech as Commonwealth Youth
Ambassador, announced the £13.4 million fund was being
renamed the “Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships” in
honour of HM The Queen.
Education Secretary said:
For young people across the Commonwealth, sharing in this
partnership presents a unique opportunity to learn about
other cultures. It also gives us the chance to share
learning from our respective education systems and to
draw inspiration from across the globe, so that every
child gets the education they deserve.
This investment builds on this celebrated relationship by
offering even more young people around the world the
opportunity to further their education at a Commonwealth
university abroad.
Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships will provide
life-changing experiences for young leaders with the energy
and talent to make a difference in their home countries and
beyond. The scheme will offer study opportunities not
previously available and widen collaboration across the
Commonwealth.
The UK’s £5 million contribution to the fund, which will
increase the total to £13.4 million, will mean that an
additional 150 students can benefit from a Queen Elizabeth
Commonwealth Scholarship by 2025. While the fund is open to
recipients from all Commonwealth countries, the new £5
million contribution announced today will be targeted at
students from countries that are eligible for overseas
development assistance (ODA) and who are looking to further
their studies at leading universities in low and middle
income countries.
The first Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholars will begin
their studies in 2019, coinciding with the 70th anniversary
of the Commonwealth and the 60th anniversary of the
Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan.
