Chevening is more than a scholarship award; it’s a life-changing experience.
As the award enters its 40th year, Chevening continues to pull many young talents, which makes the process of selecting deserving recipients of the award more challenging.
British High Commissioner to Malaysia His Excellency Charles Hay said in his welcome speech that throughout his four years as the high commissioner here, he had never failed to find a large pool of very talented Malaysians applying for Chevening scholarships.
Su San Yong, 28, MA Songwriting and Production, University of South WalesLast month, Su San kickstarted an art therapy business called “A Lusher Mind”, which she created with the intention of giving back to the community.“Most of the time, people think art is about performing and showing your talents, but it can also be a form of therapy and I think art is the best kind of therapy that people can have.“I’m very interested to explore this with the community by using my songwriting skills, which is my core and then poetry because I love poems as well as painting and other art forms,” she added.Being a Chevening scholar, Su San said she benefited a lot from studying in the UK because she was exposed to the level of open-mindedness for creativity in the community.“In the UK, there’s literally no right or wrong way to do art and they support you to do it.“I think that should be encouraged more and I would like to bring that mindset back to Malaysia because it’s something that the creative industry needs.”
“In fact, we’ve always had the problem to narrow down numbers to select the right people for the scholarship,” he said while adding that the numbers for 2023 reached up to 700 candidates competing on 40 scholarship spots offered in the Chevening award.
Muaz Mohd Hasnol, 26, MSc Climate Change, Management and Finance, Imperial College LondonThe biggest highlight of Muaz’s Chevening journey was getting the chance to attend the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) which was held in Glasgow.“Throughout my journey. I’ve met really incredible people from all around the world.“I think the greatest learning outcome for me is to never underestimate the power of your network as well as the power of the people that you meet,” he shared.“Pro tip – when you apply for Chevening, do mention these non-academic stuff that you really want to enjoy because it does show that you are more than just a book person. “It shows that you are a human being who wants to really enjoy life and live it to the fullest,” he advised.
Hay also took the time to congratulate the 40 returning 2020/2021 scholars and expressed his thoughts on their capabilities during a “welcome back” reception held at his residence in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 9.
Suyin Chia, 35, MA Terrorism, Security & Society, King’s College LondonFor Suyin, it was a journey of rediscovering herself.She said the experience of being a Chevening scholar gave her an opportunity to reinvent herself to do things that she never had the chance to do.“I went for solo travels, ate foreign food, talked to strangers who spoke different languages and also picked up dancing, all of which you will never find me do back home,” the Cheras-born said while emphasising that the once-in-a-lifetime chance to be a Chevening scholar should not be wasted by just studying and focusing solely on academics.“I think the greatest life lesson I’ve learnt from this journey is that everyone has a story and a lesson to impart to you. “Because you only have one lifetime, you can’t experience everything and you can’t make all the mistakes, so learn from other people’s mistakes and their stories,” she added.
“After a year of studying in the UK, you have returned to Malaysia equipped with the skills, knowledge and a global network to make positive, lasting change in your sectors and communities.
“We are confident that the new expertise, networks and confidence that you bring back with you will prove a great asset to any organisation and to the country,” he added.
Simret Singh Manmohan Singh, 36, MSc Business Analysis and Strategic Management, University of ManchesterIt was an exciting time for Simret to live his English Premier League (EPL) football dream.The Manchester United (MU) fan said he was able to secure a part-time job of being a runner at Old Trafford stadium during his one-year study as a Chevening scholar there.“I watched all the home games, which included Ronaldo’s first goal when he rejoined MU,” he recalled.Simret said he would start work about three hours before game day and then watch the game until about five minutes before halftime and before the end of each match.“Chevening gave me an experience of a lifetime that I never would have gotten if I did my masters elsewhere,” he added.
Hay also applauded the scholars for going above and beyond, aside from just completing their master’s degrees.
Some honourable mentions in his speech were Muaz Mohd Hasnol, who was awarded the Best MSc Prize by the Grantham Institute of Climate Change and Environment at Imperial College; Esther Tuin, who qualified Malaysia to be selected as the host of the next International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) festival; Vighneswaran Vithiatharan, who interned at the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland and worked directly under Alister Jack during his time at the University of Oxford; and Zenathnara Narayanasamy, who obtained the Edinburgh award in digital skills and completed the Seven Hills of Edinburgh Challenge.
The Chevening award is the UK government’s global scholarship programme, funded and administered by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
The scholarship is also complemented by sponsorships by Malaysian corporate partners which include Yayasan Khazanah and the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. British universities are also providing additional funding in support of the Chevening programme.
