British Council announces STEM scholarships for 2023-24

Islamabad: The British Council Pakistan has announced the third cohort of Scholarships for Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) for women.

Over 100 scholarships are available to women STEM scholars from Asia and the Americas to pursue a master’s degree in the United Kingdom, out of which 48 scholarships are reserved for women STEM scholars from Pakistan and other South Asian countries, awarded on a merit basis with no country-specific cap.

The scholarships will help enhance careers in STEM for the selected women scholars and enable them to promote research and innovation in their home country through their exposure to the expertise in the UK’s renowned STEM fields, said a news release.

Partnering with 21 universities across the UK, the scholarship scheme will provide scholars with a fully-funded master’s degree or an Early Academic Fellowship at a UK university, including covering tuition fees, stipend, travel costs, visa, health coverage fees, special support for mothers and English language support.

The scholarships will also provide the scholars with a long-lasting platform to connect with the UK through active engagement in the alumni network and inspire the next generation of women in STEM.

In the last cohort, 115 scholars were selected globally which included 15 women scholars from Pakistan.

Country Director, British Council Pakistan, Amir Ramzan said, “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 to harness the experience to make a greater impact for good when they return home”.

“Last year’s scholars from Pakistan studied exciting and diverse areas including Digital Health Systems, Data and Decision Analytics, Virtual and Augmented Reality and Environmental Sustainability. I would highly encourage talented women from across Pakistan to apply for this scholarship at the earliest.”

The scholarship is also open to women with dependents to apply, with extra support. The deadline for application differs according to the university but is between March and May 2023.