The British Embassy in Caracas and the Chevening Alumni Association are carrying out a series of masterclasses to foster discussions on topics of interest for Venezuela and the UK and deepen links between universities from both countries.
The first masterclass took place on 5 December 2016 at Catholic University Andrés Bello (UCAB). It celebrated international Human Rights Day with a discussion on the ‘Origin and Development of the Universal Human Rights System’.
The British Ambassador to Venezuela, John Saville, and Professors Simón Gómez and Tahiri Moya, Chevening Alumni, participated in the panel. They were joined by Professor Ligia Bolívar, Director of UCAB’s Human Rights Centre and a renowned Venezuelan human rights defender.
During the event, attended by students, NGOs and activists, Ambassador Saville reaffirmed the UK’s commitment to human rights and the importance of Chevening to deepen bilateral relations.
Following the success of the initiative, a second masterclass was carried out at UCAB on 30 January 2017. This time, Ambassador Saville and Professor Gómez were joined via video link by Professor Javier García Oliva of the University of Manchester, to discuss the British constitutional system.
Ambassador Saville highlighted the importance of the masterclasses as a platform for academic debate and a mechanism to foster closer cooperation between experts from both countries. The British Embassy also provided a short presentation for prospective scholars about Chevening and how to apply for the programme.
Over 400 Venezuelans have benefitted from a Chevening Scholarship since the start of the programme more than 30 years ago. Prominent alumni include the current President of the National Assembly, the Deputy Foreign Minister for Europe, the Deputy Minister for Tourism and a former Vice President and Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation.
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