Chevening Scholarships are awarded to individuals with demonstrable leadership potential who also have strong academic backgrounds. The scholarship offers full financial support for future leaders to study for any eligible master’s degree at any UK university whilst also gaining access to a wide range of exclusive academic, professional, and cultural experiences.

Since the programme was created in 1983, over 50,000 outstanding professionals have had the opportunity to develop in the UK through Chevening. There are more than 1,500 scholarships on offer globally for the 2020/2021 academic year, demonstrating the UK’s ongoing commitment towards developing the leaders of tomorrow.

HM Ambassador Kate Smith CMG said:

I am delighted that Chevening is relaunching its programme in Greece. This is a programme that aims to support the most brilliant and exceptional Greek students. By taking advantage of the opportunity to pursue their postgraduate studies in a sophisticated academic environment, Chevening Scholars develop the foundations with which to build their future on back in Greece.

I would like to extend heartfelt thank you to the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation for the confidence it is showing for yet another year in this collaboration. Our common goal is to choose a unique young man or woman, who will impress us not only with his or her performance but also with his or her vision of bringing back to Greece the knowledge and experience which will have been gained in the United Kingdom.

Ms. Eva Lianou, General Director of the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation, stated:

We are very pleased to continue our collaboration with the British Embassy in the framework of the Chevening Scholarship Programme for the academic year 2020/2021, which will enable a Greek student to pursue a fully-funded postgraduate program in the United Kingdom. This collaboration is part of the John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation’s broader strategy to support activities targeted at all levels of education, aiming to enhance young people’s access to education.

Head of Scholarships at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Ben Coates, said:

Chevening represents the very best of the UK, welcoming exceptional people from across the world to study, grow, and thrive at some of the world’s best universities. Chevening can be a transformative experience, not just for the scholars, but for their communities and countries as they return and use the benefit of their UK experience to make a positive difference in their chosen field.

Our universities promote the creation and exchange of information and ideas, as well as the building of knowledge and networks. Chevening Scholars find themselves immersed in that world, and leave the UK after their studies having grown academically, professionally, and personally as a result.

Since the programme started in 1983, many of those selected for this scholarship have gone on to become respected leaders across a range of sectors. Being a part of the Chevening network instils a strong sense of pride and responsibility, I have seen this first hand and am consistently impressed by the passion and commitment of the scholars and alumni I meet.

With our world facing countless challenges, the role that the Chevening community plays in building bridges and collaborating across borders to solve big issues is more important than ever.

Chevening’s Head of Programme Management, Louise Thomson, said:

Chevening puts you in control of your experience. You can choose from over 12,000 master’s courses at over 150 different higher education institutions. UK institutions consistently rank highly in global university rankings, so be prepared for an academically challenging and fulfilling experience.

We organise an exclusive programme of events and activities, enabling you to experience Britain’s heritage and history, discuss international policy, and interact with thought leaders at a range of academic, cultural, and social events.

Recently, scholars have visited the UK prime minister’s residence at 10 Downing Street, hiked up Mount Snowdon in Wales, exhibited art in London galleries, interned at the BBC, volunteered with the elderly, debated current affairs at the Cambridge Union, and sat in the home dressing room at Anfield. Some have even visited the locations where scenes from ‘Game of Thrones’ was shot. All this whilst studying on an intense master’s course.

Chevening doesn’t just open doors, it opens your mind. You will learn so much simply by interacting with people from all over the world, travelling around the UK in your spare time, and getting involved in the communities you live in. Those who get the most out of the experience are the ones who put the most into it.

With so much to learn and achieve, a year goes by faster than you can imagine. But your time in the UK is only the beginning of a life-long journey as a part of an international community of changemakers. Our hope is that you will leave the UK inspired, motivated, and better equipped to bring your own ideas to life.’

The call for new applicants follows the selection of one scholar from Greece, who won an award to study at a UK university this year. Successful applicants have been sharing their stories through the #ChosenForChevening hashtag on Twitter and Instagram.

For detailed information on the eligibility criteria and scholarship specifications visit www.chevening.org/scholarships as well as the designated page for Greece www.chevening.org/scholarship/greece/.

The British High Commissioner to Kenya, Nic Hailey, today launched two UK funded programmes that will support persons with disabilities access employment opportunities. The two programmes, the Innovation to Inclusion (i2i) programme and The Inclusion Works! Programme will help break down the barriers that have curtailed access to various opportunities for persons with disabilities.

Innovation to Inclusion (i2i) will ensure women and men with disabilities are actively engaged and retained in meaningful private sector work by developing, testing, validating, and sharing learnings from interventions that aim to directly improve access to waged employment.

The Inclusion Works! programme aims to increase disability inclusion in formal employment, across all sectors. It will work directly with prospective employers to demonstrate ways to include people with disabilities in the workplace on an equal basis with others.

Speaking at the event, British High Commissioner Mr Nic Hailey said: “These new programmes will support more people with disabilities into employment, and will help more employers access a new pool of talent for their business.

Disability inclusion makes economic sense; these programmes will help ensure that the gains from economic development and private sector activity benefit many, and do not leave anyone behind.”

SightSavers Country Director, Elizabeth Oyugi said: “Inclusion Works intends to work in partnership with more than 100 employers across four countries including Kenya. It will test new practices that are compliant with UN disability rights protocols and Kenya’s own Disability Act 2003 that reserves 5% of all private sectors to persons with disabilities. The programme is designed to include people of a wide range of disabilities, including blind-deafness and intellectual disabilities.”

Leonard Cheshire Spokesperson said: “Programmes like i2i are essential in bringing together expertise from a diverse group of contributors, who all offer a unique and insightful perspective on the challenges people with disabilities face all over the world. Equal access to decent employment is an absolute necessity for people with disabilities and it’s important that we work together to develop frameworks that can be implemented in low and middle-income countries in order to affect change and create more inclusive societies.’’

The two programmes were launched in the margins of an event to mark the milestones achieved since last year’s Global Disability Summit. During today’s event, which brought together disability inclusion stakeholders, participants shared information on progress made in implementing commitments from the Summit, and celebrated achievements on disability inclusion.

The Global Disability Summit, which was co-hosted last year by the British and Kenyan Governments, and the International Disability Alliance, sought to address the fact that people with disabilities have been left behind in all development efforts. The summit sought to establish processes and partnerships which will address this inequality and create lasting change for persons with disabilities. As a result, over 170 governments, civil society, private sector and multilateral organisations made global and national commitments on disability inclusion at the Summit.

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The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) in-depth investigation has provisionally found that the merged organisation is likely to face limited competition from other suppliers. Ecolab and Holchem are two of the largest suppliers of cleaning chemicals to food and drink manufacturers in the UK. The merger will create a new organisation with a market share of 40-50%, much greater than any of the remaining competitors.

Both companies make and supply cleaning chemicals and technical support services for businesses that manufacture, process and package food, drink and dairy products. Access to competitively-priced, safe and effective cleaning chemicals and services is an important part of keeping food and drink safe and free from contamination.

The group of independent CMA panel members leading the inquiry has analysed a significant amount of data, including on customers and tenders which showed that they compete closely. The Group also conducted hearings with Ecolab and Holchem and sought views from customers.

Kirstin Baker, the Inquiry Chair said:

“We are concerned that as a result of this merger, prices will go up or quality standards in crucial support services will get worse. The Group has therefore provisionally concluded that the merger is likely to lead to a substantial lessening of competition.”

The CMA is now inviting comments on both its provisional findings (by 27 August) and its possible remedies (by 13 August), including unwinding the deal. 

Further details can be found on the Ecolab/Holchem case page.

Her Majesty the Queen, on the advice of the Prime Minister, has appointed Professor Sir Ian Diamond as National Statistician. Sir Ian succeeds John Pullinger, who retired at the end of June.

The National Statistician is the Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics and Head of the Government Statistical Service. As Chief Executive of the UK Statistics Authority, Sir Ian will be an executive member of the Board of the UK Statistics Authority.

Sir Ian’s career spans many areas of social and official statistics. Most recently, he served as Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen, and prior to that held the role of Chief Executive of the Economic and Social Research Council. He is also a Fellow of the British Academy, Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Academy of Social Sciences.

Sir David Norgrove, Chair of the UK Statistics Authority, warmly welcomed Sir Ian’s appointment:

I am delighted that we have appointed Sir Ian as the UK Statistics Authority’s new Chief Executive and National Statistician. Ian brings with him enormous professional experience and particular expertise in census design and analysis.

I would like to record my warm thanks for John Pullinger’s exemplary leadership of the Statistical Service over the last five years as National Statistician before his recent retirement. We have valued enormously John’s professional wise counsel and wish him well for the future.

The Chief Executive of the Civil Service, John Manzoni, said:

I would like to congratulate Sir Ian on his appointment. With his considerable standing in the statistics community and talent for analysing large and complex data on population stastistics, I am sure he will provide strong direction for the UK Statistics Authority and Office for National Statistics.

I would also like to thank John Pullinger for his excellent work over the last five years and wish him all the very best for the future.

On the announcement of his appointment by Her Majesty the Queen, Sir Ian Diamond said:

The UK’s statistical system is one admired world-over and it is an enormous privilege to have been appointed as the UK’s National Statistician. I’m looking forward to building on the work of John Pullinger, as we make use of rich new data sources to deliver the data decision-makers across the UK need.

I’m particularly excited to be working with staff across the Office for National Statistics and the Government Statistical Service, as we empower our partners in Parliament, academia, business and beyond with trusted and quality data.