Chevening Scholarships, funded by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, are prestigious scholarships that enable graduates and young professionals from Vietnam to pursue postgraduate studies in the UK. The programme aims to encourage potential leaders and influential figures of the future to develop personally and academically and to bring benefits to Vietnam on their return.

The British Embassy is now inviting applications for the Chevening Scholarship Programme for the academic year beginning in September 2010.

What kind of courses can be studied under a Chevening Scholarship?

Most scholarships are awarded for one year postgraduate degree courses, but applications are also welcome from candidates who wish to study a short course (lasting at least 3 months).  Preference will be given to courses that contribute to the UK’s global foreign policy objectives. Full details can be found on the FCO website. They are:

• Tackling terrorism and weapons proliferation  and their causes
• Preventing and resolving conflict (including issues of governance, human rights and the rule of law)
• Promoting a low carbon, high growth global economy
• Developing effective international institutions
• Supporting the British economy and business
• Supporting British Nationals overseas
• Supporting managed migration for Britain

Examples of suitable courses include:

• Economics Law /Criminal Justice Studies
• Political Science Human Rights/Democracy
• Development Studies Journalism
• Public Administration Finance & Banking
• International Security Business Studies
• International Relations Environmental Studies/Engineering

This list is by no means exhaustive and applications for scholarships in other subjects will be considered.  

What costs are covered by a Chevening Scholarship?

A full scholarship will cover the cost for a UK visa, a return air ticket to the UK, all tuition fees (not exceeding £10,000 per year), and a monthly stipend and allowances. Candidates wishing to study a course  with academic fees exceeding £10,000 per year should expect to part-fund their study.

In 2010 - 2011, we expect to be able to offer both full scholarships and partial scholarships. Candidates who are not successful in gaining a full scholarship may be offered a partial scholarship, to which they will have to make their own contribution (from personal funds or other scholarship awards). Candidates are asked to indicate on their application form whether they would be interested in a partial scholarship and, if so, to tell us the level of personal contribution they can make (up to a maximum of 70% of your award).  A partial scholarship will cover only part of the costs listed above.

Which universities can Chevening candidates apply to?

There is no restriction on which UK university a candidate can apply to.

Important note: Candidates are strongly advised to secure a confirmed place at a UK University before interview. Those invited to interview will be asked to give strong reasons for their final choice of university and subject of study.

Candidates should study the prospectuses of UK universities (available at the British Council Information Centres in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) and start applying for places on courses immediately - before submitting their Chevening application. The British Council can assist applicants in finding information about UK universities.

Who can apply?

We encourage applications from all provinces of Vietnam, from the private sector as well as from government and NGOs.

• Candidates applying for courses that contribute to UK foreign policy objectives (as listed above) will be at an advantage.
• Candidates should have a good academic record. Only candidates with an “excellent” (gioi or xuat sac) or “very good” (kha) 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.  Chevening Scholarships are not intended for those planning to follow a career solely in specialist research or the teaching profession.
• Candidates are preferred to have at least 2 years working experience
• There are no minimum or maximum age limits for the scholarships, provided the other application criteria are met.
• Candidates must already have a high standard of English in order to enable them to cope with post-graduate study in the UK. This means an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of at least 6.5 (TOEFL equivalent 600).
• Having an unconditional offer from a UK university for the academic year of 2010-11 will be an advantage.
• Candidates must undertake to return to Vietnam once the course, or any reasonable extension of the course, has been completed.  

Candidates will be selected strictly on merit against the above criteria and no other considerations will apply.

There are no quotas for candidates from any particular organisation. If a number of candidates apply from the same organisation, all or none of them could win an award.  Likewise, there are no scholarships reserved for particular companies, government departments or organisations.

Application

An online application form can be found on the British Council website.

Candidates should complete the online application forms in full by 23 November 2009. Incomplete forms will be rejected.

Part A of the form asks about family details. Please note that scholarships fund the costs of the award holder only. If candidates wish to take any members of their family to the UK, they must bear the cost themselves.

Part F of the form asks about the candidate's choice of course and university. Candidates are strongly advised to secure a confirmed place at a UK University before interview. Those invited to interview will be asked to give strong reasons for their final choice of university and subject of study.  

Part I of the form asks for reasons for the candidate's choice of course, how the candidate intends to ‘make a difference’ on their return to Vietnam, and their leadership potential.  These sections are particularly important and will be discussed during the interviews for those who are shortlisted.  They should be completed as fully as possible within the 250-word limit for each section. Applications exceeding this word limit may be rejected.

If you are shortlisted for an interview you will need to submit hard copies of the following papers  to Ms Tran Thi Hong Gam, British Council, 20 Thuy Khue, Tay Ho Dist., Hanoi:

• copies of relevant academic certificates and transcripts, with certified English translations
• two (2) letters of reference (both of which should be professional or academic), with certified translations into English
• copies of IELTS or TOEFL report forms)
• completed medical declaration form: Health declaration form [Word, New window, 40.5 KB] (this can be downloaded from the British Council website)
• a copy of an offer letter from a UK university (if available)

Selection procedure

The British Embassy and British Council will screen application forms and draw up a shortlist of candidates. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Short-listed candidates will be invited for interview, provisionally scheduled for 1-9 March 2010 in Hanoi and in Ho Chi Minh City.  Please ensure that you are available for interview during that time.

Further Information

Any queries about the selection process should be directed to Ms Tran Thi Hong Gam or Ms Le Thi An Giang, from Monday to Friday, afternoons only, (tel: (04) 38436780) at the British Council in Hanoi.

Any queries about UK universities and courses should be directed to Ms Le Thu Hien, Communication Officer,  British Council Hanoi, from 15.00 – 17.00, from Monday to Friday, (tel: (04) 38436780) or Ms Ngo Thuy Anh Tuyet, Education Promotion Officer, British Council  Ho Chi Minh City, from 10.00 – 12.00, from Monday to Friday, (tel: (08) 38232862).

Alternatively, candidates can find comprehensive information about UK universities and institutions at the Education UK website.

British Embassy, Hanoi
August 2009