Strengthening connections: British Deputy High Commissioner hosts Chevening Alumni at reception

British Deputy High Commissioner, Robbie Bulloch, hosted Chevening alumni from Sri Lanka at an annual reception at Trenchard House on Monday, 10 October.

Speaking at the reception, Robbie Bulloch said, “Chevening is not just about study. It’s about deepening and strengthening connections between the UK and Sri Lanka and the UK and Maldives, which is why we chose people we believe will rise to the very top of their profession. 

So the people that scholars meet in the UK and the relationships and networks they form are an important part of the programme. That’s why we invite alumni to an annual reception and try and meet with as many of you as possible during the course of the year.  We want to maintain a strong relationship with everyone who has been involved in Chevening.”

During the reception, Bulloch also introduced the recently set up Chevening Social Networking site – Chevening Ning – which is a Facebook-style platform that allows alumni to interact  with other scholars across the world. He also announced that the British High Commission would soon be opening the Chevening application process for the academic year 2012/2013.

He added, “I am also very pleased to announce that this year we have entered into a special agreement with the University of Cambridge. Cambridge will part fund scholarships for students wishing to study one of their excellent Masters programmes. These new Chevening Cambridge Scholarships will increase the number of scholars we can send each year, allowing more Sri Lankans to benefit from excellent British education.”

Chevening Scholarships are prestigious awards available to international students for study in the UK. They are fully funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. About 1,000 scholarships are awarded globally each year. This year, four scholarships were awarded to post-graduates from Sri Lanka and Maldives.