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WELCOME TO THE VIETNAM PAGE ON THE CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME Here you can find information on -
- Applying for scholarships
- Admission criteria
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Information for companies and institutions
BRITISH CHEVENING SCHOLARSHIPS EXPLAINED  1 - What are the British Chevening Scholarships?
2 - Who funds the Chevening Scholarship programme?
3 - What are the most common fields of study?
5 - What are the criteria for selecting candidates?
6 - What costs do these scholarships cover?
7 - What is the application procedure?
8 - What happens when I return to Vietnam?
1 - What are the British Chevening Scholarships?
The British Chevening Scholarships, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) http://www.fco.gov.uk, are prestigious scholarships that enable young students from abroad to pursue postgraduate studies in the United Kingdom. These scholarships are offered by the British Government in more than 150 countries, so that talented graduates and young professionals may become acquainted with the UK, and gain new expertise for the benefit of their own countries. Since diplomatic relations were restored in 1990, the British Embassy in Vietnam http://www.uk-vietnam.org has been sending groups of students to the UK every year under this scheme, which gives Vietnamese graduates, with high academic qualifications, the opportunity to seek further studies in the UK.
2 - Who funds the Chevening Scholarship programme? The Foreign & Commonwealth Office, through the British Embassy. Funding information for private sector companies and other institutions - please click here
3 - What are the most common fields of study?
- Public Administration
- Political Science
- Media Studies
- Law
- Economics
- Finance and Banking
- International Relations
- Development Studies
- Environmental Studies
- Criminal Justice Studies
- Human Rights
All courses will start during the academic year following the year of application - i.e. you should apply by September to begin your studies in September the following year.
4 - What are the criteria for selecting candidates?
Candidates will be selected strictly on merit, as determined through the following criteria:
• Candidates should have a good academic record. Usually only candidates with an “excellent” (gioi or xuat sac in Vietnamese) or “very good” (kha in Vietnamese) first degree will be considered.
• Candidates should show potential to rise to a high level in their careers, and to contribute to the wider development of Vietnam. • British Chevening Scholarships are aimed primarily at younger candidates, aged under 35 years. • Candidates must already have a high standard of English, in order to enable them to cope with post-graduate study in the United Kingdom. This means an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of at least 6.5 (TOEFL equivalent 600). The scholarships are intended for candidates who wish to undertake full-time studies or research at any British academic institution, for a period ranging between three months and a year. It is not suitable for those intending to follow careers solely in academia of specialist fields, or for English Language Teachers. Applicants must meet the standard requirements as stated in the Frequently Asked Questions section of the main page.
5 - What costs do these scholarships cover?
- Return air-ticket to the United Kingdom
- Academic fees (not exceeding £10,000 per year)
- Monthly living allowance
- A one-off allowance for text books/academic material and clothing
- Smaller allowances for minor expenses on arrival and departure
- Medical cover, provided by the National Health Service, for scholarships exceeding 6 months
6 - What is the application procedure for each year?
- Opening date: July / August
- Closing date: Early October
- Results: January/February the following year
7 - What happens when I come back to Vietnam?
Before you depart to the UK, you will be invited to join the Vietnamese Chevening Alumni Association. This will put you in touch with other young Vietnamese who have won Chevening Scholarships, and who have spent a year studying in the UK. This can be helpful for you whilst you are living in the UK, and it will be the best way to contact people when you come back to Vietnam.
The Association works as a network for Chevening Alumni, and helps them stay in touch with the United Kingdom. It organises events and projects with former Chevening Scholars and outside organisations, to exchange experiences between the UK and Vietnam. It also helps to advise new Chevening scholars, and warn them what to expect when they reach the UK. For more information please contact: Vietnamese Chevening Alumni Association:
Email - ukav@britishcouncil.org.vn
Website: http://www.ukav.org/
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) What does ´Chevening´ mean? Which universities can I attend if I am awarded a Chevening Scholarship? Is it necessary to have gained admission to a British university before applying for a scholarship? Can I study outside the United Kingdom? Is it necessary to have taken an English language exam before applying? I have Vietnamese citizenship but I have been living abroad for many years. Can I apply? Can I apply to cover the costs of a PhD? Can I apply to cover the costs of postdoctoral studies? Are the Chevening Scholarships renewable? Can I apply to cover the costs of the last year of a PhD? Must I have graduated before I can apply? Do the scholarships cover the costs of taking my family with me to the United Kingdom? Is it very difficult to obtain a UK student visa?
What does 'Chevening' mean?
The word 'Chevening' is synonymous with prestigious scholarships to the UK. 'Chevening House' is the name of the official country residence of the British Foreign Secretary. In 1994, Douglas Hurd, then Foreign Secretary, renamed the Foreign & Commonwealth Office's Scholarships and Awards Scheme - 'The British Chevening Scholarships Programme', after Chevening House.
Which universities can I attend if I am awarded a Chevening Scholarship?
You can attend any university in the United Kingdom, as long as it is recognised by the DfES
Is it necessary to have gained admission to a British university before applying for a scholarship?
No. However, in order to save time, it is advisable to apply for admission to the universities of your choice, at the same time as applying for the scholarship.
All the necessary information about post-graduate courses in the UK can be found on the Education UK website.
Can I study outside the United Kingdom?
No. Chevening scholarships are only awarded for study within the United Kingdom. This means that distance learning is not an option.
Is it necessary to have taken an English language exam before applying?
Yes. The level of English required is minimum IETLS 6.5 (TOEFL equivalent 600)
I have Vietnamese citizenship, but I have been living abroad for many years. Can I apply?
Yes, but priority is given to those candidates with a firm commitment to Vietnam.
Can I apply to cover the costs of a PhD?
Priority is given to candidates who wish to undertake full-time studies or research at any British academic institution, for a period ranging between three months and a year.
Can I apply to cover the costs of postdoctoral studies?
No.
Are the Chevening Scholarships renewable?
No.
Can I apply to cover the costs of the last year of a PhD?
Yes, as long as you are already studying for a PhD, and the costs that need to be covered correspond to your last year of study.
Do the scholarships cover the costs of taking my family with me to the United Kingdom?
No. Chevening scholarships are designed for single people, and there are no additional allowances for partners, spouses, children or other dependants. Stipends, which are offered at standard UK rates, are designed to allow you to live a comparable lifestyle to a single UK Postgraduate scholar.
Is it very difficult to obtain a UK student visa?
Prospective students will need to fulfil the requirements for a UK student visa, but will be assisted in this process by the British Council. You can find out more about Chevening Scholarships by contacting the British Council through the British Council Vietnam Website
HOW YOU CAN HELP - information for companies and institutions
"Collaborative investment in international talent" The FCO (www.fco.gov.uk) invests over 32 million pounds a year in the Chevening Scholarship programme worldwide. This significant investment by the British Government is strengthened by contributions from prestigious institutions and companies involved through the Jointly Funded Chevening Scholarships Scheme. There are two types of Jointly Funded Chevening Scholarship Schemes:
Local schemes (set up by British Embassies generally with local co-sponsors) and;
Central jointly funded schemes (established by FCO with corporate, charitable and academic partners in the UK).
1. Local schemes set up by British Embassies generally with local co-sponsors.These schemes usually involve a bilateral partnership between the British Embassy (http://www.uk-vietnam.org) and a local company, a charitable foundation or a local official or semi-state body. The Embassy has discretion and resources to make arrangements locally for joint funding of scholarships to the UK. In these schemes, co-sponsors are encouraged to take an active part in the selection process. The successful students´costs are then shared equally between the Embassy and the local co-sponsors. The FCO (http://www.fco.gov.uk) maintains contact with Chevening scholars by arranging a number of receptions for them and their sponsors in different parts of the United Kingdom each year, and by inviting groups of scholars to visit the FCO.
British Embassies keep in touch with former scholars, both individually and through alumni associations. They also encourage and assist corporate and academic co-sponsors to maintain contact with their own scholars. The British Embassy in Vietnam would like to thank to the following companies and universities who are making direct contributions to the Chevening Scholarships Programme: If you would like to discuss British Chevening Scholarships support opportunities, please contact: British Embassy in Vietnam
31 Hai Ba Trung
Hanoi
Vietnam.
Tel: +84 (0) 4 9360505
Fax: +84 (0) 4 9360561/2 2. Central jointly funded schemes, established by FCO with corporate, charitable and academic partners in the UK. The Central programme consists of about 80 discrete schemes, each typically comprising a trilateral partnership between the FCO (http://www.fco.gov.uk), a commercial or industrial co-sponsor (or grant- awarding foundation) and a university or college. The FCO and the corporate partner will normally choose the university to be invited to participate in the scheme, considering such factors as the relevance of the courses offered and links which the partner company may have, or may wish to develop, with a particular institution. Costs are shared equally between the three partners.
As an estimate, the average cost of a fully funded one-year scholarship for a student from outside the European Union is likely to be in the region of 18,000 pounds. The scheme may target one or more countries. The FCO would like to thank to all the UK Higher Education Institutions that have kindly offered scholarships to Chevening scholars and to the following companies who are contributing directly to the Chevening Scholarships Programme: The University of Leeds and BP Vietnam If you would like to discuss British Chevening Scholarships support opportunities, please contact: Deputy Head of Department
Scholarships & Education Section
Public Diplomacy Policy Department
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
London
SWIA 2AH How does an organisation benefit from co-sponsoring the British Chevening Scholarships? As well as the obvious benefits to the scholars themselves, and to their home countries, co-sponsors can expect to gain: General Benefits in both schemes:
- Promotion of corporate image and development of local relationships
- Links with future leaders
- Recruitment of first-class graduates
- Increased international exposure
- Investing in success: short and long term commercial benefits
Short term benefits: Publicity associated with selection process, awards to successful candidates, and return of scholars to Vietnam on completion of courses. Long term Benefits: Enables companies to establish lasting links with future decision makers, whose professional qualifications have been enhanced at a British University.
CO-SPONSORSThe British Embassy in Vietnam would like to thank to the following companies and universities who are making direct contributions to the Chevening Scholarships Programme in 2007/08: British Petroleum – BP Vietnam Ltd
http://www.bp.com/ Prudential plc Vietnam
http://www.prudential.com.vn GlaxoSmithKline
http://www.gsk.com/index.htm Mansion House
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/powerhouse University of Westminster
http://www.wmin.ac.uk Rolls Royce
http://www.rolls-royce.com University of Cambridge
http://www.cam.ac.uk University of Birmingham
http://www.bham.ac.uk University of Leeds
http://www.leeds.ac.uk
LINKS British Council Vietnam site:
www.britishcouncil.org/vietnam British Embassy in Vietnam site:
www.uk-vietnam.org
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