THIRTEEN Jamaicans will be undertaking studies in various fields at prestigious universities across the United Kingdom (UK), through the Chevening scholarship programme.

The 2024 Chevening scholarship reception was held at the British High Commission in Kingston on August 22.

This year’s scholars will pursue fields of study in energy and climate change, sports biomechanics, data science and analytics, education, international development, law, regulation, compliance, brand management, technology, and telecommunications.

They will be attending the universities of Edinburgh, Newcastle, Coventry, Roehampton, Oxford, London School of Economics and Political Science, and University of London, where they will undertake one year of study.

In her address at the ceremony, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Senator Kamina Johnson Smith, said the programme is essential to nurturing talent in critical areas of development.

“The truth is that the Government is very much looking forward to partnering with you and working with you to leverage the knowledge, experience and expanded opportunities which you will learn, you will absorb, and you will bring back to Jamaica in order to achieve our national development goals,” she said.

Johnson Smith encouraged the scholars to capitalise on the opportunities of the programme.

“Optimise opportunities to create and strengthen connections with members of the Jamaican diaspora. Before you travel, I want to suggest that you become aware of the diaspora, not only our powerful history and legacy in a conceptual way but that maybe you make an effort to seek out leaders in the areas in which you are studying, so that you can create networks and have doors open, possibly in areas that are of great interest to you,” she advised.

Meanwhile, British High Commissioner to Jamaica Judith Slater commended the scholars on their achievement.

“We are really proud to be sending off 13 really talented young Jamaicans this year, giving them an opportunity to spend a year in the UK on a fully funded Chevening master’s scholarship, and as always, these 13 have been chosen from a really competitive field of applicants, so you can feel justifiably proud of your achievement,” she said.

Slater said Chevening remains the British government’s flagship scholarship programme for nurturing global leaders, noting there are currently approximately 60,000 Chevening scholars around the world, 310 of whom are Jamaicans.

“One of the key objectives of Chevening is to ensure that the recipients of the award undertake studies in subjects which are going to enable them when they [return] to give back and help their country of origin to prosper,” she said.

Jamaica National (JN) Foundation has partnered with the Chevening scholarship programme to match funding of a scholarship over the next two years, creating the Chevening/JN Oliver F Clarke scholarship.

The application period for the 2025/26 Chevening Scholarship programme is now open. It closes in November 2024.