The British Council is supporting women wishing to pursue postgraduate study in STEM at a university in the UK through its second year of Women in STEM scholarships.
A total of 29 scholarships from six UK universities, will support women from eight countries in East Asia; including Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, and Vietnam, to further develop their careers in STEM subjects. Awardees will have access to economic support, including tuition fees, stipends, travel costs, visas, health coverage fees and special support for mothers. According to data from the UN Scientific Education and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), fewer than 30 per cent of researchers worldwide are women and only 30 per cent of female students select STEM-related fields in higher education. Applications for the British Council scholarships for Women in STEM are open until end of March 2022. For more information, please visit www.britishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/in-uk/scholarship-women-stem
Mr Leighton Ernsberger, Director Education and English, British Council East Asia, stated ‘To meet the challenges of the 21st century, we need more women and girls studying and working in STEM fields. But often, social and economic opportunities limit women from advancing their professional ambitions. The British Council, as the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, has striven for educational equality for women through the support of the “Women in STEM scholarships”, now in its second year. The scholarships will give opportunities to women in eight countries in East Asia to obtain a Master’s degree or Early Academic Fellowship from a UK university, giving them the opportunity to further develop their careers in STEM subjects.
Mr Leighton added that the UK has a world-renowned higher education sector that is truly international. These scholarships will enable talented women to take up a life-changing opportunity to develop their careers in their chosen STEM fields, and then harness the experience to make a greater impact for good when they return home.
According to data from the UN Scientific Education and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), fewer than 30 per cent of researchers worldwide are women and only 30 per cent of female students select STEM-related fields in higher education. As a typical STEM worker earns two thirds more than non-STEM workers, giving women equal opportunities to pursue STEM careers helps narrow the gender pay gap and would be a major contribution to the achievement of ‘Sustainable Development Goal 5: achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Last year, 15 scholars from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam travelled to the UK to start their master’s degrees in STEM subjects as part of the first Scholarships for Women in STEM cohort.
This year, the British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM support women in eight countries in East Asia; including Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, and Vietnam, to pursue postgraduate study in science, technology, engineering or maths at a university in the UK. The 29 scholarships include funding for 21 Master’s degrees and eight early academic fellowship. The hosting UK universities are Brunel University, Teesside University, Liverpool John Moores University, Edinburgh Napier University, University of Glasgow and University of York. Awardees will have access to economic support, including tuition fees, stipends, travel costs, visas, health coverage fees and special support for mothers.
For more information, including a full list of participating UK universities, their available courses, and the application deadlines, please visit www.britishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/in-uk/scholarship-women-stem. Applications for the British Council scholarships for Women in STEM are open until end of March 2022.
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