When Chevening alumnus Josiah Kalala applied for a Chevening Scholarship, he was not, as he put it ‘fresh out of undergrad’. With seven years’ experience as a lawyer under his belt, he was ready to deepen his expertise in constitutional law in a country known for its world-class education, practical research, and leading professors: the UK.
Co-funded by the Anglo-American Foundation, Josiah was awarded a Chevening Scholarship to study at the University of Cardiff after applying twice. He chose Chevening over other scholarship programmes because, as someone from Zambia, studying at a British university felt especially relevant given the strong influence of British institutions in the region.
‘I have taken part in fellowships in other countries, and the experiences are very different because of the contextual mismatch between, say, Germany and Zambia or the U.S. and Zambia.’
For Josiah, the best part about studying in the UK was:
‘I didn’t imagine I could sit with professors discussing constitution building and not feel out of my depth, but I managed.’
Josiah embraced networking as a vital part of the Chevening experience. With fellow scholars at Cardiff, he co-founded the Cardiff Hikers Club. They met regularly to travel around the UK and walk through different areas of the country.
‘Many of the scholars who were part of the Cardiff Hikers Club are still close friends of mine today.’
Before he began his Chevening Scholarship, Josiah had recently joined the Chapter One Foundation, an organisation committed to promoting and protecting human rights, constitutional governance, and the rule of law. After returning to Zambia, his career began to flourish, and in 2024, he was promoted to Executive Director.
‘I’ve grown so much within my organisation [because of Chevening].’
He continues to apply his networking skills through the Chevening Alumni Association in Zambia, actively contributing to its charitable work.
‘Because of the breadth of the Chevening network, I’ve been able to interact with some Zambian senior lawyers who [were] Chevening scholars. They’ve provided support and partnership… there is so much partnership and knowledge exchange among Chevening alumni.’
That knowledge exchange, especially around constitutional law, will be necessary. Josiah’s Chapter One Foundation is leading a consortium of Zambian civil society organisations that are advocating for constitutional reform. Building a constitution that represents all Zambians is a tall mountain to climb, but Joseph Kalala is equipped to play his part in the process.
Chevening proudly supports scholars from all backgrounds and identities. Sarah, a Chevening scholar studying at the University of Sussex, shares her story of overcoming adversity and using education as a tool to advance transgender rights and inclusion in Thailand and beyond.
In 2018, Anelize Lenzi Ruas de Almeida was an attorney with more than a decade of public service experience in Brazil’s National Treasury. But she knew there was more she could contribute. At nearly 40 years old, she was worried that age might exclude her from scholarship opportunities abroad until she discovered that Chevening has no upper age limit.
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