Chevening Mentoring Scheme 2021-22 focuses on women and minorities

The scheme is designed to support women and minorities who are lawyers and entrepreneurs to enhance their skills, knowledge and work performance.

The British High Commission inaugurated the scheme last year which was led by Chevening alumni who mentored a total of 10 mentees (eight women and two men, including minorities) in 2020. The participants benefitted in various facets of leadership enabling them to become thought leaders.

The three-month mentorship programme under the second phase will include one-on-one leadership sessions and group discussions with the mentors. Lawyers and entrepreneurs will learn to navigate challenges in their professions, particularly on gender rights and inclusion, allowing them to make a positive impact in their respective fields.

Later, Fouzia Younis addressed journalists at a local hotel and spoke about the Chevening scholarship along with other areas of partnership between the UK and Pakistan. She also participated in the Women’s Walkathon at Gaddafi Stadium organised by FemGames and supported by Chevening alumna Fizza Abid.

Head of Communication, British High Commission, Fouzia Younis, said:

This is a trailblazing, alumni-led initiative designed to develop the leadership potential of female lawyers and entrepreneurs. In the first phase, 80% of the mentees were women, including 20% from ethnic minorities. Our Pakistan Chevening alumni are role models for many; I am delighted that they are using their UK experience to give back to others, and hope more will join them next year.

Chevening Mentor – Aasia Saail Khan said:

To give back to Pakistan is the essence of the Chevening scheme. Being a Chevening mentor, I was able to guide four women entrepreneurs through a bespoke capacity building programme. I helped them establish start-ups, and trained them on how to run online businesses and formally register them with the LCCI.

The UK Government’s Chevening Scholarship enables outstanding emerging leaders across Pakistan to pursue a fully funded one-year master’s degrees in the UK. It is a unique opportunity to develop leadership potential, network with students from across the world, and experience the best of first class education UK has to offer. Online application window is now open to receive applications for academic year 2022-23. The deadline to submit applications is 02 November 2021.

Notes to editors:

The British High Commission supports inclusion, education and opportunity for all. Over the years, BHC has made efforts to encourage more women to apply, as a result of which female scholars have risen from just 6% in 2013 to around 60% this year. Anyone who has the ambition, curiosity, a clear vision for the future and the ability to achieve goals should apply for a Chevening Scholarship. Selected scholars will join a community of over 50,000 alumni worldwide. Since 1983, around 2,000 Pakistani have been awarded the Chevening Scholarship. To apply and for more information please visit our website

Chevening alumni who will lead the Chevening mentoring scheme in 2021 include entrepreneur, pharmacist, and gender consultant Aasia Saail Khan; lawyer and entrepreneur Hassan Shah; founder and Pollinator RBI (Responsible Business Initiative) Ambreen Waheed; strategic communications advisor and founder of Pakistan Professional Women Forum Gulalai Khan; and economist and social protection specialist Adeela Khalid among others. These alumni have studied from the UK’s top universities and are passionate to contribute back to society to bring positive change through a mentoring scheme. Through this alumni led initiative, each Chevening alumni will provide learning opportunity to at least two mentees.

Prominent Chevening female alumni include: Amna Zamir Shah, the first female judge in Gilgit-Baltistan High Court; Abia Akram, Chairperson Special Talent Exchange Programme (STEP); Fifi Haroon, a senior journalist; Yasmeen Rehman, former Member National Assembly; and Asiya Nasir and Nafeesa Shah who are both Members of the National Assembly of Pakistan.

Last year over 3,000 potential candidates applied for the Chevening Scholarship in Pakistan. For updates on the British High Commission, please follow our social media channels:

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