150th ANNIVERSARY • COUNTRY PROFILE – JAMAICA • NEWS ROUND-UP

SCHOLARS' NEWS • ALUMNI IN ACTION

NEWSIssue 7

September 2008Promoting learning, development and co-operation

Celebrating 50 years of achievement

2 Commonwealth Scholarships News

Commonwealth Scholarships NewsEditorial Team:Dr John Kirkland, Jocelyn Law, Anna O’Flynn and Natasha LokhunDesign and print: Dsi Colourworks

Commonwealth Scholarships News is published threetimes a year by the Commonwealth ScholarshipCommission in the United Kingdom.

Commonwealth Scholarship Commissionc/o The Association of Commonwealth UniversitiesWoburn House, 20–24 Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9HF, UKcomments@cscuk.org.ukwww.cscuk.org.uk

© Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom

Commonwealth Scholarships News is published for information purposes only and no liability is accepted for its contents by the CSC

or by any contributor to it. While all reasonable efforts have been made to ensure that the information contained therein was correct at

the time of compilation, it should not be regarded as definitive and no responsibility is accepted for the inclusion or omission of any

particular item. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the CSC.

2 Editorial

3 News round-upThe latest from the CommonwealthScholarship Commission.

4-5 Scholars’ newsCurrent Commonwealth Scholars discuss theirtime on award and what it means to them.

50th ANNIVERSARY SUPPLEMENT

6-7 The changing face ofCommonwealth ScholarshipsJohn Kirkland considers how the Commissionhas developed its awards to meet the needs ofnew generations of Scholars and Fellows.

8-9 Evaluating our impactRachel Day looks at a current projectassessing the success of our alumni.

10 A new dimensionNews of an exciting new endowment fundthat will provide scholarships for study indeveloping Commonwealth countries.

11 Learning abroadSuzanne Lawrence reports on a bookchronicling the history of the CommonwealthScholarship and Fellowship Plan.

12 Anniversary calendarA look ahead to activities in our anniversaryyear.

13 Alumni in actionAn update on the activities of our alumni.

14 Alumni profileProfessor Sir Michael Brady and his formergraduate student and fellow CommonwealthScholar, Dr Christian Behrenbruch.

15 Country profile – JamaicaA closer look at the CommonwealthScholarship and Fellowship Plan in operation internationally.

he Commonwealth Scholarshipand Fellowship Plan – or CSFP, aswe have come to know it – is 50. I

congratulate one and all who have been,are and will be involved in thisexceptional programme of intellectualand social exchange.

The CSFP’s half-century statistics areimpressive enough, with over 25,000Scholars and Fellows to its name. Someare household names: pre-eminent inpolitics, academe, business, and more.Yet all are richly talented people whohave bettered their societies and theCommonwealth.

Perhaps, though, the value of the CSFPlies in something less quantifiable – inthe promotion of excellence, the sharingof knowledge, and the deepening ofbonds. The academic quality of theawards has been independently andobjectively verified, and the level ofgoodwill towards the Plan is immense.

2009 sees the Commonwealth celebratethe 50th anniversary of the firstConference of Commonwealth EducationMinisters at Oxford in 1959. It was at that meeting that the CSFP was established.Education Ministers will meet again, for the 17th time, in Kuala Lumpur in June nextyear. Many of our efforts next year will go towards launching a 50th anniversary CSFPEndowment Fund, with the special aim of widening the programme, from south-to-north to south-to-south and north-to-south Scholarships (see page 10 for more details).

So the CSFP is as flexible and dynamic as the Commonwealth of which it is a part – a Commonwealth which, by coincidence, celebrates its 60th birthday next year. Fromgolden to diamond anniversaries, precious metals are to be treasured. Their value istimeless.

I welcome you to this 50th anniversary of issue of Commonwealth Scholarships News.

Kamalesh SharmaCommonwealth Secretary General

EDITORIALTHIS ISSUE

Kamalesh SharmaCommonwealth Secretary General

T

© R

olan

d Ke

mp/

Com

mon

wea

lth S

ecre

taria

t

September 2008 3

NEWS ROUND-UP

DEPARTING COMMISSIONERSWe would like to thank the followingCommissioners, who have recently finished theirterms of office, for all their work and commitment tothe CSC. • Professor Sharon Huttly• Professor David Johns• Professor John Morgan • Professor Tim Shaw• Professor Gurharpal Singh• Professor Martin Snaith

CSC BRIEFING IN OTTAWAA reception was held on 7 May 2008 in Ottawa foralumni and newly selected 2008 CanadianCommonwealth Scholars. The event was jointlyorganised by the CSC and the Canadian Bureau forInternational Education (CBIE). Remarks were madeby representatives of Foreign Affairs andInternational Trade Canada (DFAIT) as well as theHon Noël Kinsella (Speaker of the Senate ofCanada), Dr John Kirkland (Executive Secretary ofthe CSC), Jim Fox (President of CBIE) and JenniferHumphries (Vice-President, Membership andScholarships of CBIE).

The future of Commonwealth Scholarships betweenCanada and the UK is uncertain, following the recentannouncement by the UK Foreign Secretary that,beginning next year, Britain’s awards will beconcentrated on the developing Commonwealth.However, the reception was a celebration of theCSFP’s achievements, as the quality of guests andalumni in attendance showed that leadership skills,as well as diplomatic and personal connections, arean important benefit of the CSFP.

PROFESSIONAL FELLOWSHIPS LINKNORTHERN IRELAND AND MALAWIColeraine Borough Council in Northern Ireland hascemented links with a similar-sized council inZomba, Malawi, through the ProfessionalFellowships scheme. In the past five years, twomembers of the Zomba council have been able tospend a three-month period at Coleraine, and a thirdFellowship will commence in September 2008. PaulSnelling, Head of Administrative Services atColeraine, said ‘The Fellowships underpin ourconnection by enabling personal relationships todevelop between our two councils. The 150 staff inour Council HQ have been made aware ofdeveloping world issues through the contact withour Malawian colleagues, and we are able to followup the Fellowship with practical help’.

COMMONWEALTH VS RHODES CRICKETMATCHThe 6th annual Commonwealth vs Rhodes cricketmatch was held at the University of Oxford on 19July 2008. Commonwealth Scholars and theirfamilies came from around the country to play orwatch, and were joined by members of theCommission and its secretariat. A great day, as theysay, was had by all – made even more so by thenarrow victory snatched by the Commonwealth side,who scored 161 runs with 1 over to spare, againstRhodes’ total of 160 runs all out.

After the game, the formalities were conducted byDr John Kirkland, Executive Secretary of the CSC,who handed the trophy over to the losing Rhodesside, as is the custom. The day then concluded withthe traditional barbeque and drinks, where bothteams put aside their differences and enjoyedthemselves long into the night. Thanks must go tothe CSC and Rhodes House for their generousfunding of the day’s events, to Anna O’Flynn of theCSC secretariat for organising the day, to DavidHughes, captain of the Commonwealth XI, for all hishard work, and to the players of both teams. The fullmatch report by David is available online atwww.cscuk.org.uk/news/2008CommonwealthvsRhodescricketmatch.asp

CALL FOR MENTORSAuthorAID is looking for experienced academics witha proven publications record to act as mentors – inparticular, senior researchers from differentcountries who will then team up with early careerresearchers to mentor them through the publicationprocess. AuthorAID is based at the InternationalNetwork for the Availability of Scientific Publications

(INASP). For more details visit www.authoraid.infoor contact authoraid@inasp.info

CSC-DELPHE LINKUzebba Kanu, a lecturer in the GeographyDepartment at Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone, hasbeen awarded a Commonwealth Split-site Scholarshipand will spend 12 months of her PhD at the Institutefor Development Policy and Management at theUniversity of Manchester from September 2008.Uzebba’s research into sustainable forestrymanagement in Sierra Leone relates to her work as aproject partner in the college’s DevelopmentPartnerships in Higher Education (DelPHE)collaboration with the University of Manchester.DelPHE, an HE funding scheme for partnerships thataddress local development issues, is run by the BritishCouncil with the support of the ACU.

The victorious Commonwealth XI!

The Royal Commonwealth Society in partnership with

the Council for Education in the Commonwealth held

a protest meeting on 10 July 2008 to draw attention

to the campaign against the recent announcement

of the end of FCO funding for UK Commonwealth

Scholarships to developed countries. Speakers

included (l-r) Germaine Greer, former

Commonwealth Scholar from Australia, ProfessorTim Unwin, Chair Designate of the CSC, AlastairNiven, former Commonwealth Scholar to Ghana,

and Sir George Bain, former Commonwealth

Scholar from Canada.

WHAT MEMORABLE EXPERIENCES HAVEYOU HAD AS A COMMONWEALTHSCHOLAR?For Luke Arnold, academic experiences stand out. ‘Inone of my classes, my lecturer said he wanted todiscuss case studies from Tanzania, Pakistan andNigeria and asked if there were any people in theclass from any of those countries. Within a couple ofminutes we had established that the class hadstudents from all three, each of whom was able togive a first-hand account of the subject matter!’

Nutan Gupta says, ‘The experience I value the mostis the research training credits (RTCs), which all PhDstudents have to undertake during their degreeprogramme but were not compulsory for me as asplit-site student. I soon realised that they are veryhelpful in building up research abilities. This wassomething different which I don’t have in mycountry and hence I attended many RTCs to benefitfrom them.’

‘This might sound small to other people, but mymost memorable experience so far has beenpresenting my research ideas to a panel of otherresearch students and academic experts in my fieldof study’, says Phemo Kgomotso. ‘I received anoverwhelmingly positive response and recognitionthat confirmed to me that my dream of graduatingwas not far-fetched after all!’

Halimah DeShong has made the most ofopportunities for extra-curricular activities. ‘While Itreasure the vibrant academic culture here, my mostmemorable experience so far has been playing inthe England Netball Super League for NorthernThunder, the team from the North West. Playing inthis and the British Universities Sports Association(BUSA) competitions has given me the chance tolearn so much more about the UK and its people.’

Patricia Mwebaze-Songa has found the entireexperience memorable! ‘The richness and depth ofknowledge I have attained is one of my highlights. Ialso enjoyed learning about English history andculture. The support and advice I received from my

award administrators (at the British Council and thesecretariat) when I gave birth to my daughter standsout as very memorable because I have been able toboth complete and excel at my studies.’

WHAT HAS YOUR COMMONWEALTHSCHOLARSHIP MEANT TO YOU?Phemo says, ‘To me, receiving a CommonwealthScholarship is a once in a lifetime opportunitythat I cannot put a price on. Through thisprestigious scholarship, I have been given theopportunity to pursue a programme of study ofmy choice at one of the most reputable academicinstitutions in the world.’

Patricia agrees: ‘It had always been a dream for meto do my postgraduate study at the renownedLondon School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.And so, after failing at various attempts to getfunding, I was thrilled when I was awarded theCommonwealth Scholarship which turned thisdream into a reality. I regard this award as aprivilege since it has allowed people like me fromhumble backgrounds to benefit immensely fromthe British education system.”

Luke feels that ‘Being awarded a CommonwealthScholarship has enabled me to gain extensivecomparative knowledge about the role of law indevelopment, which will no doubt support myefforts to act as a bridge between Australia and Asia.The opportunity has also allowed me to live inLondon for a year and gain all that comes with that– making friends and contacts from all over theworld, listening to amazing speakers and of coursegaining a newfound appreciation for the so-called“bad” weather in my home city of Melbourne!’

Nutan is of a similar opinion: ‘The CommonwealthScholarship means a lot to me. It has given my CVa good weight and hence I have an advantage overother applicants for jobs. I have learnt newtechniques which have given me good results andwill enhance the quality of my PhD thesis. But thereis one drawback: being a Split-site Scholar, I don’tget a degree or certificate from the UK.’

‘It is both a privilege and an honour to have beenawarded a Commonwealth Scholarship,’ saysHalimah. ‘There is a dearth of research on the socio-historical condition of St Vincent and theGrenadines and other Eastern Caribbean nations.My Commonwealth Scholarship means that I ambetter equipped to join the efforts to redress thissituation.’

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO DO AFTER YOURSTUDIES IN THE UK?All the Scholars hope to put the skills they havelearnt into practice upon returning to their homecountries. For Nutan, this means making ‘acontribution to the field of environmentalbiotechnology and providing industries withalternative methods for treatment of effluents’. Lukeplans on ‘making a meaningful contribution toAustralia’s engagement with its Asian neighbours,particularly in the field of law’.

Halimah’s desire is ‘to return to the University of theWest Indies and continue in my career as aresearcher in the field of gender and identity politicsin the Eastern Caribbean. My hope is to becomemore involved in activism that seeks to end allforms of violence against women’.

Patricia says, ‘I plan to return to Uganda, where Ihope to contribute positively towards capacitybuilding and strengthening of health services for thedelivery of effective HIV prevention and care for themost vulnerable populations’.

Phemo is also enthusiastic about her contribution toher country’s future. ‘I plan to go back to Botswanaand contribute towards the design andimplementation of sustainable environmentalprogrammes and capacity building in the field ofenvironmental policy. I would like to see my countrycontinue to uphold the principles of goodenvironmental governance and the protection ofthe interests of those communities who derivelivelihood opportunities from the direct use ofnatural resources, and I intend to contribute to therealisation of this goal’.

4 Commonwealth Scholarships News

SCHOLARS’ NEWSAs we approach our 50th Anniversary, we asked five current Scholars to reflect on their experiences so far: LukeLazarus Arnold (from Australia, LLM in Law, Development and Governance, School of Oriental and AfricanStudies, University of London), Halimah DeShong (from St Vincent and the Grenadines, PhD in the Sociology ofGender and Violence, University of Manchester), Nutan Gupta (Split-site Scholar from India, PhD in ForestEcology and Environment, University of Ulster), Patricia Mwebaze-Songa (from Uganda, MSc in Public Health,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London) and Phemo Karen Kgomotso (fromBotswana, DPhil in Development Studies, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex).

5

Alexander V F G D’Silva, a former teacher in

Tanganyika (now Tanzania), realised a boyhood

ambition when he received a Commonwealth

Scholarship to study Chemical Engineering at the

University of Sydney. He was one of the first

Commonwealth Scholars and started his four-year

course in 1960. Here, he is pictured in his third

year, solving a problem with the aid of an

electronic computer in the Department of

Chemical Engineering at the University of Sydney.

Sour

ce: N

atio

nal A

rchi

ves

of A

ustra

lia: A

1501

, A45

58/1

THE CHANGING FACE OF COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS • EVALUATING OUR IMPACT • A NEW DIMENSIONLEARNING ABROAD • ANNIVERSARY CALENDAR

6 Commonwealth Scholarships News

hen establishing the CommonwealthScholarship and Fellowship Plan in 1959,education ministers were making astatement about the nature of

Commonwealth collaboration. The Plan, theydecided, should be distinct from, and additional to,any other schemes on offer, reflecting the distinctvalues and presence of the Commonwealth itself.The selection process should be a partnershipbetween home and host countries, reflecting thenotion of a community of independent nations,each being best placed to know its own needs.Even the choice of scholarships as the form ofcollaboration said something about theCommonwealth. The investment in individualsthrough scholarships is a relatively long-term one– the Commonwealth intended to be around tosee the benefits.

At the same time, the founders realised that needswould change. The third of the five ‘foundingprinciples’ stated that ‘the nature of awards shouldbe flexible, to take account of changing needs’.They couldn’t have been more right. In 1959,higher education was open to only a small elite,few students travelled internationally, and thosewho did paid only nominal fees. Internationalcommunication was confined to letters and veryoccasional telephone calls. The dominant form ofpostgraduate education was the doctorate, withone-year Masters’ courses in their infancy.

This landscape has changed radically over theintervening period, and CommonwealthScholarships have changed along with it. Not allthis change has been for the better. The rapiddecline in African higher education during the1980s and 1990s led to a halt in awards from theregion which is only now being reversed. It wasthe decision to introduce full-cost tuition fees,rather than any greater desire to increase access tohigher education, that led the UK to increasenumbers during the 1980s. More controversially,some lament the fact that scholarships throughoutthe world have become more an instrument ofgovernment policy – whether in internationaldevelopment or foreign affairs – rather than purelya means of helping talented and deserving

individuals. Others will question the morevocational, rather than academic, nature ofprovision, as the range of one-year Masters’ anddistance learning courses has increased.

It is striking that the pace of the change hasaccelerated over time. Despite the changesdescribed above, Commonwealth Scholarshipsoffered by the UK in 1999 would have beenrecognisable forty years earlier – a well tried andtested combination of traditional scholarships andmid-career fellowships. Changes since then havereflected both new opportunities and increasedinterest from government.

1998 saw the first introduction of CommonwealthSplit-site Scholarships, reflecting the newopportunities for collaboration betweendeveloped and developing country universities. Atabout the same time, Canada decided toexperiment with Distance Learning Scholarships,again harnessing new forms of communication.Two years later, the United Kingdom consultedother countries in the Plan about future provision,revealing high demand for one-year Masters’courses. 2003 saw the introduction of DistanceLearning Scholarships in the UK, and a new formof ‘Professional Fellowship’, bringing theopportunity of short-term, highly focussed periodsof career development to those in keydevelopment occupations outside the academicsector. Both were in response to the requirementof the UK Department for InternationalDevelopment (DFID) that the scheme take on amore explicitly development role. More recently,Canada has introduced a new form ofundergraduate award, reflecting the increased roleof study abroad programmes in student mobility.New Zealand, by contrast, has expanded provisionfor doctoral students, reflecting their nationalpolicy of attracting the best talent at that level.

The Plan requires national governments to makedecisions on whether and what type ofCommonwealth Scholarships to offer and this hashelped, rather than hindered, this process. It hasprovided flexibility and diversity, and probablygenerated greater commitment amongst the larger

hosts than would have been achieved throughcontributions to a single, central fund. This mightnot be true, however, of smaller countries whoincreasingly have the capability to host awards, butare sometimes put off by the perceived need tocreate new structures to do so. The proposedanniversary endowment, described on page 10,will allow the Plan to have the best of both worldsin future – and at the same time become the mostinternational scholarship programme on theplanet.

Increased accountability is a common themeamongst many of these changes. Notunreasonably, the national governments thatfinance the scheme have started to take a greaterinterest in its products, as evidenced by the rise inalumni and evaluation activity. Far fromthreatening the future of CommonwealthScholarships, the results of such work seem to besecuring it. The evidence suggests that, althoughthe nature of awards have varied, the capacity ofCommonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships toproduce high quality alumni, who return to takeleading roles in their own countries, has beenconstant.

In short, Commonwealth Scholarships have stoodthe test of time. The precise means of delivery mayhave changed, but the focus on mutualcooperation, the sharing of educational experienceand the emphasis on the highest level ofintellectual achievement – all part of the 1959principles – remain. So have the structures ofbilateral partnership, whilst the participation ofindividual countries, far from underminingCommonwealth principles, has allowed thescheme to maintain its relevance and flexibility.

The next test of this durability will come in 2009,when Commonwealth education ministers reviewthe Plan as they have done every three years sinceits establishment. It is a sign of its success that, farfrom considering whether CommonwealthScholarships have any future in the modern world,the talk is all of how the Plan can be expanded.The world may be changing, but the need fortalent remains as strong as ever.

THE CHANGING FACE OFCOMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPSCommonwealth Scholarships look very different today compared to fifty years ago, but their purposeand ideals remain very much intact. John Kirkland looks at some of the main changes, and wonderswhat the Plan’s founders would think of it now.

W

September 2008 7

© J

oona

s Li

ndho

lm

Postgraduate Taught

1960

-196

4

1965

-196

9

1970

-197

4

1975

-197

9

1980

-198

4

1985

-198

9

1990

-199

4

1000

800

600

400

200

0

1995

-199

9

2000

-200

4

UndergraduateProfessional FellowshipsUnknown

FellowMedical TrainingPostgraduate ResearchDoctoral Research (inc. Split-Site Awards)

GS

0 500

1960-1964

1965-1969

1970-1974

1975-1979

1980-1984

1985-1989

1990-1994

1995-1999

2000-2004

1000 1500 2000 2500

CFCDCPCN

KEY:GS – Commonwealth Scholarships: Available forpostgraduate study at any UK university. Candidatesapply in the first instance to the national nominatingagency of their resident country. Additionalnominations are sought each year from developingcountry universities (termed Academic StaffScholarships) and other sources. This group alsoincludes Medical Scholarships offered between 1962and 1995 to candidates with basic medical or dentalqualifications, to enable them to pursue a higherprofessional qualification or advanced clinical training.These awards were merged with generalCommonwealth Scholarships in 1996.

CF – Commonwealth Academic Fellowships: Theseawards are targeted to specific countries. They areaimed at mid-career staff in developing countryuniversities, and provide for up to six months’ work ata UK institution. Nominations are made directly fromthe universities and the countries concerned. Thisgroup also includes Medical Fellowships offeredbetween 1960 and 1995 for clinical and/or researchexperience at an advanced level in the candidate’sfield of specialisation. These awards were mergedwith Commonwealth Academic Fellowships in 1996.

CD – Commonwealth Distance LearningScholarships: These awards allow developing countrystudents to secure Master’s-level qualifications fromUK institutions through distance learning study. Thescholarships are only available for specific coursesselected by the Commission on the basis of theirquality and relevance to development. UK universitiesare invited to register an expression of interest for theCommission to support their course.

CP – Commonwealth Professional Fellowships:Since their instigation in 2003, Professional Fellowshipshave offered mid-career professionals from developingCommonwealth countries an opportunity to spend aperiod (typically three months) with a UK hostorganisation working in a relevant field. Applicationsare invited each year from UK organisations that wishto host such awards – these can be from any sector,although the recipients of awards must not hold a full-time academic position.

CN – Commonwealth Split-site Scholarships: Theseawards support candidates who are undertakingdoctoral study at a university in their home country tospend up to one year at a UK university as part oftheir academic work. Nominations for awards areaccepted from developing country universities andfrom national nominating agencies.

FIGURE 1: LEVEL OF STUDY 1960-2004

FIGURE 2: RANGE OF AWARDS 1960-2004

8 Commonwealth Scholarships News

igher education is now receiving greaterattention within development policy, withorganisations across the globe recognising that

investment in tertiary education is vital if theMillennium Development Goals and other targets areto be met. At the same time, the internationalisation ofhigher education is reflected in part by ever-increasingacademic mobility, with large numbers of universitystaff and students moving across borders for short- orlong-term periods of study, teaching and collaboration.

Within this context, international scholarship andfellowship programmes now form a key part of bothdevelopment support and attempts to enhance andencourage international relations as well asinternational collaboration and research. But howsuccessful are these programmes? Can they reallyenhance economic and social development? Dothey promote better international cooperation? Howmuch impact can scholarship and fellowshipprogrammes really have? The CommonwealthScholarship Commission, having funded over 16,000scholars and fellows since 1959, is now seeking toprovide some answers to these questions in thecontext of its own awards, through theestablishment of its own evaluation programme.

The starting point for the evaluation programme wasa workshop held at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor, UK,in May 2007. As reported in Issue 4 ofCommonwealth Scholarships News, the participantsat the workshop, ranging from CommonwealthScholars and Fellows to representatives from nationalnominating agencies as well as organisationsincluding the Netherlands Organisation forInternational Cooperation in Higher Education(NUFFIC) and the World Bank Institute, drew upguidelines leading to the design of a three-stageprogramme, which commenced in September 2007.

The first stage involved building on the databasealready held in order to establish a sound, robustsource of empirical data as well as identify a core setof indicators. The second stage, currently wellunderway, involves the collection of qualitative andquantitative data through the design and distributionof a survey and the publication of a preliminary report.The third stage of the programme will examine impactin more detail, focussing on key areas and sectors,

such as agriculture and higher education, as well asgeographical regions.

We are interested in the impact of our awards onindividuals, their institutions and their countries andsociety as a whole. Some of the key indicators we areusing to measure this impact include:• level and sector of employment• implementation of skills and experience• evidence of international links and collaboration• involvement within key leadership or

development priority areas• the individual’s own perception of his or her

impactThis list is of course not exhaustive. As well asqualitative analysis, the information gained from thestudies is anticipated to enable us to begin the morechallenging task of quantifying the impact made so farby our alumni.

From the survey findings and resulting more in-depthreports, we intend to identify several key areas onwhich to focus for the third stage of the programme.Over the next 12 months, we initially anticipateproducing three or four more detailed reports. Weare naturally particularly interested in the priorityareas of our funding bodies, the Department forInternational Development (DFID) and the Foreignand Commonwealth Office, including amongstothers, agriculture, health, conflict resolution andeconomic growth. We will also look at the impact ofthe scheme in, for example, specific regions. Theongoing programme is expected to yield a number ofkey reports each year which will inform our fundersand key stakeholders of the impact and benefits ofthe CSC’s awards as well as being of significantinterest to our alumni and other parties working inthe development field.

So what information do we have to date? Detailedanalysis is just commencing; we can, however, giveyou some initial findings. Of the 5,673 alumni towhom the survey was sent, 2,226 responded, giving usa very high response rate of nearly 40%.

In the first section, we asked for basic biographicalinformation concerning award, employment, publicoffices held, honours received, contact details and soforth. Table 1 shows the distribution of respondents by

country and Table 2 by decade of award. Initialcomparisons with the survey population as a wholesuggest that the responses, in terms of regional,gender and sector distribution, are representative ofthe distribution of the survey population overall.

The second part of the survey focussed on theexperiences of alumni both during and after theirawards, and their perceptions of the impact of theiraward and their work in several key areas. In onequestion, aimed at identifying the perceived benefits oftime spent on award, we asked respondents to look ata series of statements and to tell us which descriptionapplied to their time on award. This revealed perhapsunsurprisingly but nevertheless reassuringly that over97% felt that they have gained knowledge in their fieldof expertise – over 90% ‘significantly’, with less thanone percent feeling they had gained ‘no’ or ‘not much’knowledge. 96% felt that they had increased theiranalytical and/or technical skills, whilst 80% had to atleast some extent learned techniques for managingand organising people and projects. Reassuringly foran international programme, over 90% felt that theyhad been able to access equipment and expertise notavailable in their home country.

We then wanted to know the extent to which theaward had contributed to their working life. AsFigures 1 and 2 demonstrate, the vast majority feltthat their award had had some impact on individualand potentially institutional or organisational levels.

A further area worth noting is the level of continuedlinks with the UK. Almost 70% of respondents had tosome extent, although only 29% ‘significantly’,maintained links with universities in the UK, 72%with social contacts, and 52% with work contacts.Only 48% reported maintaining links withprofessional associations to at least some extent andonly 36% with the CSC. Further analysis willexamine whether these figures are higher withrecent alumni and whether those in particularsectors or levels of employment are more likely tomaintain links; it will also consider the low numberof respondents reporting continued links with theCommission and how that might be resolved.

The findings of the survey and subsequent morefocussed studies will be vital, not only in informing

EVALUATING OUR IMPACT

As reported in previous editions of Commonwealth Scholarships News, the CSC is undertaking anextensive evaluation programme aimed at assessing the impact of its Scholarships and Fellowships.Here, Rachel Day reports on progress to date.

H

September 2008 9

stakeholders of the valuable impact of their fundingbut also in aiding the Commission in future planningand policy. We shall give you regular updates onprogress in our evaluation work, with the first keyoutput from the alumni survey planned to coincidewith the Welcome Day later this year.

The CSC secretariat would like to extend its gratitudeto those alumni who have taken the time to respondto the survey.

The evaluation survey was distributed in early 2008, initially via email and then by hard copy to the 5,673alumni for whom we hold up-to-date contact details. If you did not receive a copy of the survey andwould like us to update your contact details, or if you would like to learn more about how you canparticipate in evaluation and alumni activity, please contact Rachel Day at rachel.day@cscuk.org.uk

SignificantlyNot muchNot at allDid not answerTo some extent

SignificantlyNot muchNot at allDid not answerTo some extent

TABLE 1: RESPONDENTS BY COUNTRY

Anguilla 3Antigua and Barbuda 4Australia 177Bahamas 3Bangladesh 115Barbados 17Belize 2Bermuda 6Botswana 5Brunei Darussalam 2Cameroon 22Canada 221Cayman Islands 1Cyprus 29Dominica 7Fiji 6Ghana 69Grenada 3Guyana 24Hong Kong 41India 412Jamaica 38Kenya 79Lesotho 9Malawi 29Malaysia 79Maldives 4Malta 35Mauritius 25Montserrat 1Mozambique 2Namibia 5New Zealand 82Nigeria 119Pakistan 73Papua New Guinea 2Saint Kitts and Nevis 1Saint Lucia 8Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 5Samoa 2Seychelles 4Sierra Leone 18Singapore 40South Africa 82Sri Lanka 105Swaziland 8Tanzania 44The Gambia 15Tonga 1Trinidad and Tobago 21Turks and Caicos Islands 2Virgin Islands (British) 1Zambia 29Zimbabwe 15Uganda 73Unknown 1Total 2226

TABLE 2: RESPONDENTS BY DECADE OF AWARD

1960s 1551970s 2011980s 2941990s 5522000s 1024Total 2226

FIGURE 1: TO WHAT EXTENT DID/DO YOU USE THE SPECIFIC SKILLS ANDKNOWLEDGE GAINED DURING YOUR AWARD IN YOUR WORK?

FIGURE 2: TO WHAT EXTENT DID/DOES YOUR AWARD INCREASE YOURABILITY TO HAVE INFLUENCE AND MAKE CHANGES IN YOUR WORK?

10 Commonwealth Scholarships News

he Commonwealth Scholarship andFellowship Plan is one of the largest and mostprestigious international scholarship schemes

in the world. Since 1959, over 25,000 individualshave held awards, hosted in over 20 countries.

As each issue of Commonwealth Scholarships Newsshows, Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows attainthe highest levels of achievement, both during andafter their awards. For many, their award is a ‘once ina lifetime’ experience, which offers newopportunities and the chance to make a real impacton their home countries.

Over its 50-year history, CommonwealthScholarships have been mainly concentrated in asmall number of host countries. This represents amajor lost opportunity. Many low- and middle-income countries have study opportunities thatwould hugely benefit candidates from the north aswell as promote stronger south-south collaboration.

So, in commemoration of the 50th Anniversary ofthe CSFP, Commonwealth education ministersagreed at their last meeting in 2006 to create anEndowment Fund to enable CommonwealthScholarships to be hosted in developing countries.

The Endowment Fund will make the scheme themost internationally diverse in the world, and createa new and permanent arm of Commonwealthcollaboration – as per the founding principles of the CSFP.

An entirely new source of funding, the EndowmentFund will provide scholarships not availableelsewhere and open to recipients from anyCommonwealth country. It will be a major boost tosouth-south collaboration as well as activelyencouraging students from developedCommonwealth countries to obtain experience incountries where this has not previously been possible.It will also help universities in those countries thatcannot currently host Commonwealth Scholarships todevelop centres of international standing.

The plan is for awards to be a partnership between hostcountry and the Fund, with the hosts being expected atleast to waive tuition fees and the Fund paying thestudent stipend, airfares and other incidentals.

The Endowment Fund will be formally launchednext June, at the 17th Conference of CommonwealthEducation Ministers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Already, we have commitments of nearly £1 million,and we will be looking to raise more during theanniversary year. More details, including how youcan contribute, will be available soon.

COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS –A NEW DIMENSION

T

Emma Broadbent, Commonwealth Scholar, MA in

Religious Studies, University of Cape Coast, Ghana,

2005-2007

Ursula Weekes, Commonwealth Fellow, National

Museum Institute, New Delhi, India, 2004-present

The Endowment Fund will:• establish Commonwealth

Scholarships in a much widerrange of lower- and middle-income countries

• be open to all citizens ofCommonwealth countries

September 2008 11

small team at the von Hügel Institute of StEdmund’s College, Cambridge, are workingon a history of the CommonwealthScholarship and Fellowship Plan in time for

publication to mark its 50th anniversary in 2009.

The Plan was conceived at aCommonwealth economic and tradeconference in Montreal, Canada, in1958 and set up at the first-everConference of CommonwealthEducation Ministers in Oxford, UK, in 1959.

It is unique in that it comprises a set of bilateral agreements, made by individual Commonwealthgovernments, to fund scholarships andfellowships that enable young scholarsor established academic staff to studyin other Commonwealth countries.

Since 1959, over 25,000 people have studied abroadas Commonwealth Scholars or Fellows. Many havebecome senior university staff members; a smallernumber have become ministers and primeministers; others have attained fame or notoriety injournalism and the arts; a few have combinedseveral of these achievements.

Britain has been the largest participant in the Plan,and Canada has also been a major player;Commonwealth developing countries play a centralpart in the story, involved in south-south and north-south programmes.

WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT?The research, and the book that is based upon it, willdo three things. First, it will examine how the Planhas developed and changed over the years. Second,it will draw from the experience of individualScholars and Fellows in order to assess thesignificance of their award on their personal andprofessional lives as well as how it influenced theirachievements. Third, it will set these two storieswithin the context of social, political and educationalchange over fifty years.

The research will also explore and document howthe Plan has responded to changing nationalpriorities within both sending and receivingcountries. It will seek to answer questions aboutthe contribution of scholarships to developmentand consequently the reduction of poverty.

By looking at the achievements of its alumni andtheir institutions, it will seek to answer questionsabout the Plan’s contribution to the developmentof higher education and to society moregenerally. It will therefore address the centralpolicy issue: how far is the funding ofscholarships an effective way of contributing todevelopment or a mechanism that principallyadvances individuals’ careers and helpscontribute to brain drain?

Already, in researching Commonwealth Scholars’academic contributions during tenure, it hasbeen noted that achievements were not limitedto passing their programme requirements.Scholars were recognised with awards,publications and supervisor reports that oftenpraised their works as ‘outstanding’ , ‘top of theclass’, ‘one of the best we have ever had’ andwell deserved of various accolades.

Some scholars made tangible contributionsduring their period in the UK, as well asafterwards. Many Scholars and Fellows publishedacademic works, and one PhD student from

Kenya took the opportunity to write and publisha novel while on award. An Indian Scholar set upa research centre at his alma mater and signed amemorandum of understanding between hisinstitution and a foreign university. In anotherexample, a Commonwealth Fellowship holder

from South Asia was reported by hisassociate to have ‘...made almost aquantum jump in the developmentof the original ideas…[his field ofstudies] will for the first time have auniversal theory which is applicablethroughout the range from infinitelydilute to saturated solutions’.However, not all award holders werenecessarily successful and this bookwill also explore these cases.

The research of the Plan will includeall parts of the Commonwealth and isnot simply a British and Canadian

account. Therefore, a number of country studieslooking at the experience and impact of the Planhave been commissioned in Barbados, St Lucia,India, Pakistan, Australia and South Africa. Eachcountry study will look, as appropriate, atnational roles both in sending and receivingScholars.

The principal researcher and author/editor is DrHilary Perraton. He is deputy chair of theCommonwealth Scholarship Commission in theUK and a historian by background who workedfor some 30 years in international education,including ten years in the education programmeof the Commonwealth Secretariat.

A Canadian research associate, SuzanneLawrence, has been appointed to work with him. She is currently approaching alumni for information on their experience on award. If you are able to share your story with her, please email her at sal57@cam.ac.uk or call her on +44 (0)1223 741 839.

Keep watching for details on how toobtain your copy in 2009!

LEARNING ABROAD: A HISTORY OF THE COMMONWEALTHSCHOLARSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP PLAN

A

It will draw from the experience of individualScholars and Fellows to assess the significance

of their award on their personal andprofessional lives as well as how it influenced

their achievements.

12 Commonwealth Scholarships News

Anniversary calendar2008

17 NovemberCSC Welcome Day for new Scholars and official launch of the 50th

Anniversary celebrations – Westminster Central Hall, London

200920-22 March

Anniversary conference for current award holders – CumberlandLodge, Windsor

21-22 AprilEvent to commemorate 50 years of the CSFP (in collaboration withthe Commonwealth Secretariat and the Council for Education in the

Commonwealth) – University of Oxford

23 AprilReception and launch of the second Directory of Commonwealth

Scholars and Fellows – Marlborough House, London

15-19 JuneLaunch of the Endowment Fund appeal – 17CCEM (Conference of

Commonwealth Education Ministers), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

SeptemberPublication of a history of the CSFP

9 NovemberCSC Welcome Day for new Scholars

11-13 November50 @ 50 alumni event, looking at the role and future of

Commonwealth Scholarships – Cumberland Lodge, Windsor

COMMONWEALTH SCHOLARSHIPS:PAST ACHIEVEMENTS AND FUTURE CHALLENGESThe CSC is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2009, and is planning a variety of activities tomark 50 years of Commonwealth Scholarships in the UK.

Get involved!While many of the activities will take place in the UK, the CSC alsohopes to host events in Commonwealth countries to coincide withvisits from Commissioners, meaning that more of you will be ableto participate in the celebrations!

For further news and updates on the plans for the 50thAnniversary, please check the new section on our website:www.cscuk.org.uk/news/50anniversary.asp

Keep in touchPlease keep us informed of your news, such assignificant research, new senior appointment, majorpublication or national honour or award. We alsowelcome feedback on any aspect of thispublication. You can get in touch by emailingcomments@cscuk.org.uk or you can write to:

Jocelyn LawAlumni Development OfficerCommonwealth Scholarship Commission in theUnited Kingdomc/o The Association of Commonwealth UniversitiesWoburn House, 20-24 Tavistock Square,London WC1H 9HF, UK

We appreciate all your feedback and contributions,although it may not always be possible for us toinclude all your news, due to the amount of spaceavailable on these pages.

September 2008 13

ALUMNI IN ACTIONAlumni NewsBRITISH ACADEMY FELLOWSHIP FORFORMER SCHOLARDr Emmanuel Akpabio (Commonwealth Split-siteScholar, PhD in Environmental and ResourceManagement, University of Uyo and LancasterUniversity, 2004-2006) has undertaken a BritishAcademy Visiting Fellowship at Newcastle Universityfrom May-August 2008 on the project ‘Indigenouswater management and the challenges of stateinstitutions in the Cross River basin, Nigeria’.

ALUMNUS AWARDED FULBRIGHTFELLOWSHIPProfessor V K Kapoor (Commonwealth Fellow,Epidemiology Unit, King’s College London, 1996-1997) has been awarded a Fulbright Visiting LecturerFellowship at the Department of Surgery at OregonHealth and Science University, USA, from August-November 2008. He will also lecture at a number ofother institutions in the US and attend the annualmeeting of the American College of Surgeons.Professor Kapoor is based at the Sanjay GandhiPostgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, India.

FORMER SCHOLAR AWARDED BRITISHCOUNCIL RESEARCH GRANTDr Amam Zonaed Siddiki (Commonwealth Scholar,PhD in Molecular Parasitology, University of Liverpool,2002-2006) has been awarded a Development

Partnerships in HigherEducation (DelPHE) grant.His project, ‘Capacitydevelopment towards riskanalysis and prevention ofzoonoses in Bangladesh’, isa collaboration between theInternational Center forDiarrhoeal Diseases andResearch, Bangladesh(ICCDDRB) and theUniversity of Liverpool, UK,and was developed with hisPhD supervisor, Dr

Jonathan Wastling (now a CommonwealthScholarship Commissioner). The team is developing anew curriculum on public health for veterinaryundergraduate students and a website containingresearch publications on zoonotic diseases inBangladesh and South Asia.

MALTESE ECONOMIST CONTRIBUTES TONOBEL PEACE PRIZEProfessor Lino Briguglio (Commonwealth AcademicStaff Scholar, PhD in Economics, University ofExeter, 1979-1982), Head of the EconomicsDepartment at the University of Malta, has beenpresented with a certificate for his role as one of thelead authors of the Fourth Assessment Report of theIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC), which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prizelast year.

The IPCC has produced a series of scientific reportsover the last twenty years, drawing on those with anexpertise in climate change and its effects. The IPCCwas established in 1988 by the WorldMeteorological Organisation and the UnitedNations Environment Programme. It is tasked withassessing scientific data on the risk of human-induced climate change and its potential impacts.

NEW UNIVERSITY FORTHE SEYCHELLESDr Rolph Payet(Commonwealth Scholar,BSc in Biochemistry,University of East Anglia,1989-1992), Special Advisorto the President of theSeychelles, is also Chairmanof the Seychelles UniversityFoundation. The foundationis organising the creation ofthe first university for the Seychelles. Moreinformation can be found at www.sufoundation.sc

Alumni EventsMAURITIUS ALUMNI CHAPTER AGMThe fourth annual general meeting of the UKCommonwealth Alumni Chapter – Mauritius was heldin April 2008. Dr Roshan Ramessur (CommonwealthScholar, BSc in Marine Chemistry, Bangor University,1985-1988), Associate Professor at the University ofMauritius, was elected as UKCAC President from2008-2010. Events held in 2008 have included analumni dinner in May at Westminster House, theresidence of the British High Commissioner toMauritius. More information is available athttp://ukcac-mauritius.tripod.com

GHANA ALUMNI RECEPTIONHE Dr Nicholas Westcott, British High Commissioner toGhana, hosted a reception on 29 May 2008 to celebratethe Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan(CSFP), the Chevening Scholarships Programme andthe work of the Open University in supporting highereducation in Africa. Guests included alumni from bothscholarship programmes, officials from the UKDepartment for International Development (DFID) andthe British Council, and senior Ghanaian academics andofficials. Speakers at the event were the HighCommissioner, Professor Tim Unwin (CommonwealthScholarship Commissioner) and Professor DavidVincent (Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Open University, UK). Theoccasion provided a valuable opportunity for alumni tolearn about new developments in the CSFP, includingarrangements to celebrate its 50th Anniversary.

In BriefAWARD AND CAREER ANNOUNCEMENTSProfessor Md. Ruhul Amin (CommonwealthFellow, Institute of Electromagnetics Research,University of Nottingham, 2006-2007) has beenappointed as Dean of the Faculty of Electrical andComputer Engineering at Rajshahi University ofEngineering and Technology, Bangladesh.

Professor Joan Beaumont (Commonwealth Scholar,PhD in War Studies, King’s College London, 1971-1974) has recently been appointed Director (Dean) ofthe Faculty of Arts at the Australian National University.

Professor Md Rabiul Islam (Commonwealth Fellow,Chemistry Department, University of Manchester,1989-1990) has been appointed Chair of the Chemistrydivision at Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh.

Faisal Ferozali Notta (Commonwealth DistanceLearning Scholar, MA in Education and InternationalDevelopment, Institute of Education, University ofLondon, 2004-2006) was a panellist speaker at theInternational Symposium on Student Affairs andStudent Services, organised by the National Associationof Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) inBoston, Massachusetts, USA in March 2008.

Professor Walter Woon (Commonwealth AcademicStaff Scholar, LLM in Law, University of Cambridge,1982-1983) has been appointed Attorney-General ofSingapore, from 11 April 2008.

Dr Rolph Payetformer

Commonwealth

Scholar

Dr Amam Siddiki,former Commonwealth

Scholar

Professor Sir Michael Brady FRS, FREng, FMedSci,FIET, FInstP, FBCS is BP Professor of InformationEngineering at the University of Oxford. He is theauthor of over 450 articles and 24 patents and theauthor or editor of ten books in computer vision,

robotics and medicalimage analysis. Hewas knighted in the2003 New Year’shonours list.

Mike was aC o m m o n w e a l t hScholar from 1967-1970, studying for aPhD in Mathematicsat the AustralianNational University

(ANU). His undergraduate studies had beeninspired by a group of researchers headed byProfessor Bernhard Neumann. When this groupmoved to ANU during his final year, Mike appliedfor a Commonwealth Scholarship to follow them.

Moving to Australia was a significant turning point inhis life, as he was recently married and experiencedlife in a country completely different to the UK. Mikesays, ‘Professionally, ANU was a wonderful world ofmathematics, with international stars regularlycoming and presenting seminars. It never feltisolated. I also realised that a life as a professionalmathematician was not for me, and I took my firsttentative steps into the then-fledgling computingscience, eventually into engineering science’.

Mike found that his time in Australia had a profoundeffect on his career. ‘It taught me mathematicalrigour and the clarity of mathematical thinking,which has been invaluable through my career. Ittaught me that one never loses by graspingopportunities to work in different countries: I havesubsequently worked in England, the USA andFrance. I truly believe that I have become a morerounded person by having studied and workedabroad; I am less parochial than many of mycolleagues. That process started with theCommonwealth Scholarship.’

Mike has supervised several ‘first-rate’Commonwealth Scholars from Australia, includingChristian Behrenbruch, who he says ‘has shaped my

life in as many ways as I have shaped his. From dayone we were colleagues rather thansupervisor/supervisee’. Mike feels that his ownCommonwealth Scholarship to Australia gave him amutual understanding and so the Australianstudents were particularly special among the 100-odd PhD students he has supervised.

Dr Christian Behrenbruch is now a Professor at theCrump Institute for Medical Imaging at the

University of California, LosAngeles (UCLA). His researchfocuses on how in vitro and invivo diagnostics fit together, andon new ways of buildinginexpensive diagnostic ‘chips’ todetect cancer and immunedisorder. In parallel to hisacademic career, he is alsoheavily involved in start-up

companies in both the UK and the USA.

Christian was a Commonwealth Scholar at theUniversity of Oxford, studying a joint DPhil inEngineering Science and Radiology from 1998-2001,with Mike Brady as his supervisor. His choice ofinstitution was motivated by the opportunity to workwith Mike in a culturally diverse environment.

Christian says, ‘The UK is a brilliant place to be anacademic because it is so close and well-integratedwith European research, as well as having strong tiesto US and Canadian institutions in a way that mostEuropean universities don’t have. I know as many

bright researchers in Canada, Australia and NewZealand as I know in India and Malaysia. Theopportunities for collaboration are enormous. Ibelieve that students take the opportunity toimmerse themselves in the culture of anothercountry and not only take a bit of that culture homewith them, but also have a chance to leavesomething behind.’

Mike’s research concentrates on medical imageanalysis, specifically applied to cancer. One issuein medical imaging is that, as more than oneimaging technology is usually used in thediagnosis of a patient, images from eachtechnology need to be put into a commonreference frame (aligned) and the various piecesof partial information they provide pooled – this iscalled image fusion. Christian’s thesis research wason breast cancer, and he developed a system toalign pairs of x-ray mammograms of the samewoman, either taken at different times or fromdifferent views, and also the first system to align amammogram (a 2D image) with an MRI (a 3Dimage). This was one of Mike and Christian’s firstjoint publications and the first of its kind.

Following his Scholarship, Christian became theCEO of a spin-off company started by Mike,Mirada Solutions Ltd. This company was sold to aUS company, CTI Molecular Imaging, andChristian remained as CEO of the UK subsidiary,with a staff of nearly 100 people. Christian wasable to build on his experience to develop asuccessful image fusion system, Fusion7D – thiswas Mirada’s successful medical image analysisproduct which not only inspired CTI to acquire itbut is installed in thousands of hospital sitesworldwide. In 2005, CTI Molecular Imaging wasacquired by Siemens for USD 1bn, and continuesto this day as the Advanced ApplicationsLaboratory of Siemens Molecular Imaging.

Christian knew before applying for his Scholarshipthat Mike was a former Commonwealth Scholar andbelieves that ‘the offer of a CSFP award made a bigdifference in the way he qualified my candidacy as aprospective doctoral student. In a way, I think theaward helped me to get the best supervisor I couldhave hoped for’. He says, ‘It was a fantastic threeyears of my life and I remain very active in andcommitted to the CSFP’.

14 Commonwealth Scholarships News

ALUMNI PROFILEIn this Anniversary issue, we look at a special Commonwealth Scholarships connection – Professor Sir Michael (Mike) Brady, Commonwealth Scholar at the Australian National University in 1967, later became supervisor to Dr Christian Behrenbruch, Commonwealth Scholar at the University of Oxford in 1998.

I believe that students takethe opportunity to immersethemselves in the culture of

another country and notonly take a bit of that

culture home with them,but also have a chance toleave something behind.

Dr Christian Behrenbruch

Professor Sir Michael Brady

Dr ChristianBehrenbruch

September 2008 15

STUDYING IN JAMAICA THROUGH THE CSFPThe Jamaican Ministry of Education administersCSFP awards offered to students. Awards are madespecifically for study at the University of the WestIndies, Mona campus. UK citizens, such as DavidPickering currently studying for a PhD in MedicalHerbalis and Homeopathy at Mona, are currently themain recipients of awards.

Applications to Jamaica are sent to the Ministry ofEducation and then on to the University of the WestIndies for review by a selection panel, which passesrecommendations for awards back to the Ministry ofEducation for approval by the Permanent Secretary.To ensure that these Scholarships have a lastingimpact in Jamaica, Scholars’ theses are always keptby the University of the West Indies and the Ministryof Education.

JAMAICANS STUDYING OVERSEAS WITH THECSFPThe UK and New Zealand currently offer awards toJamaican citizens. The Ministry of Finance and PublicService advertises the awards in January/Februaryfor New Zealand and July/August for the UK, with a6-8 week application deadline. Applications arethen assessed in-house and a shortlist is prepared.The selection of candidates is dependent on areasof study as well as areas of national need, usuallydefined in the annual Economic and Social Surveyof Jamaica.

Shortlisted candidates are required to attend apanel interview, usually comprising arepresentative from the Ministry, staff from theUniversity of the West Indies and the University ofTechnology, Jamaica, and representatives from theBritish Council and other ministries.

Jamaican Commonwealth Scholars in New Zealandinclude Lois Parker and Sharma Taylor, studying forPhDs in Commerce and in Law respectively atVictoria University of Wellington; Rayon Gregory,studying an MVS (Master of Veterinary Studies) atMassey University; and Rohan Clarke, who has beenawarded a Scholarship this year to pursue aMIntLaw&Pols (Master of International Law andPolitics) at the University of Canterbury.

Commonwealth Scholars serve in every sphere inJamaica, as demonstrated by the profiles below.Another high-profile alumnus is Dr ChristopherTufton (Commonwealth Scholar, Doctor of BusinessAdministration, University of Manchester, 1999-2003) who is now Minister of Agriculture.

ALUMNI PROFILESJudith Mowatt was a Commonwealth Scholar from1998-2001, and studied for a PhD in Toxicology atthe University of Manchester. Her research was inthe field of genotoxicity, and Judith believes that heraward has had a wide impact. Judith’s appointmentas Director of the Department of National Security atthe Forensic Science Laboratory has enabled her

to modernise theinstitution. ‘As a civilservant, I would nothave been able toafford my PhD. TheCSFP award made thisdream a reality andhas given me thetraining to make atangible difference tomy place of work andto Jamaica as a whole.’

Celia Brown-Blake was a Commonwealth Scholar atthe London School of Economics and PoliticalScience (LSE) from 1996-1997, and studied a LLM inCorporate and Commercial Law. Her course has hada direct impact on Celia’s academic career at theUniversity of the West Indies, teaching business-related law courses in the Department ofManagement Studies. ‘Part of my research interest isin insolvency and financial regulation – a direct spin-off of my courses taken at LSE. I also serve on theBoard of the Financial Services Commission inJamaica – the regulatory authority for the non-bankfinancial sector. I therefore consider that my awardhas played a very integral part in my careerdevelopment.’

Cheryl Dixon was aCommonwealth Scholarstudying for a MA inEnvironmental Planningat the University ofNottingham from 1984-1986. Cheryl focussed o n e n v i r o n m e n t a l i m p a c t a s s e s s m e n tmethodologies anddisaster risk management.This was of greatrelevance when shereturned to Jamaica, as this had become a keydevelopment concern, and she was able to return towork at her former employer, the Planning Instituteof Jamaica. Cheryl believes that schemes such as theCSFP are invaluable in enabling Jamaicans likeherself to study at a graduate level. ‘It was absolutelyimportant for me to have received a scholarship forgraduate work. I would not have been able tofinance it using my own resources.’

In Jamaica, CSFP offers of award by Jamaica are handled bythe Ministry of Education, and offers to Jamaican citizens are

administered by the Ministry of Finance and Public Service.We look at the work of these ministries and examine theimpact of the CSFP on current and former CSC Scholars.

COUNTRY PROFILE – JAMAICA

Judith Mowatt, former

Commonwealth Scholar

Cheryl Dixon, former

Commonwealth Scholar

ABOUT THE CSFP…The Commonwealth Scholarship and FellowshipPlan (CSFP) is one of the oldest and mostprestigious schemes of its kind in the world. It wasestablished at the first Conference ofCommonwealth Education Ministers in 1959. Since,over 24,000 individuals have held awards, hosted byover twenty countries.

From the outset, the United Kingdom has been thelargest single contributor, and over half of theawards have been held here. CSFP awards in theUnited Kingdom are managed by theCommonwealth Scholarship Commission, a publicbody established by Act of Parliament. Twogovernment departments fund the Commission: theDepartment for International Development, whichsupports awards to developing Commonwealthcountries, and the Foreign and CommonwealthOffice, which supports awards to the remainder ofthe Commonwealth.

Day-to-day administration of the Commission ishandled by its secretariat, which is based at theAssociation of Commonwealth Universities. TheBritish Council handles welfare and financialadministration, and provides pre-departure advicethrough its local offices.

At present, the Commission offers four discretetypes of award:

• Commonwealth Scholarships• Commonwealth Academic Fellowships• Commonwealth Professional Fellowships• Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships

Further details of current provision and selectionprocedures can be found on the CSC website atwww.cscuk.org.uk

We hope that you have enjoyed this edition of CommonwealthScholarships News. If you have any feedback, or you have asuggestion for a future article (indeed you may be interested inwriting one yourself!) please get in touch with the Editorial Team at:

comments@cscuk.org.uk

Commonwealth Scholarships NewsCommonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdomc/o The Association of Commonwealth UniversitiesWoburn House20-24 Tavistock SquareLondonWC1H 9HFUK