China Chevening Cambridge Scholarship

08 April 2011

At a short ceremony in the Beijing Raffles Hotel today, an agreement was signed between the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Beijing and the Cambridge Overseas Trust to co-fund outstanding Chinese students on Masters degrees at the University of Cambridge.

The scholarship scheme, which starts in October this year, will support exceptionally talented applicants from China, who would not be able to study in Cambridge without financial support, on 1-year postgraduate courses in any subject.

Scholars will be chosen according to general Chevening criteria, in the expectation that they will become opinion formers and decision-makers as well as influential friends of the UK. Chevening qualities include self-motivation, leadership potential, commitment to change and organisational development, talent for innovation and creativity, and the ability to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances, whether technical or professional or cultural.

Each scholarship will cover tuition fees and living costs in Cambridge, and return flights between China and the UK.

The agreement was signed by Christopher Wood, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy, and Michael O’Sullivan, Director of the Cambridge Overseas Trust. It was witnessed by Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, who is currently making his first visit to China in that role.

The Cambridge Overseas Trust will be working with a number of British diplomatic missions to develop the Cambridge Chevening Scholarship in coming years.