‘Over time, I have realised that success depends… on a set of skills that allow us to grow, adapt, and contribute meaningfully.’

1. Be curious

A genuine curiosity about the world and different perspectives can open unexpected doors.

While teaching and researching in Central Asia, I explored how global norms are adapted locally, uncovering overlooked insights and inspiring cross-border collaboration in the Central Asia Yearbook on International Law.

Curiosity drives initiatives that connect communities, encourage dialogue, and amplify diverse voices. It helps us learn from each other and address shared challenges.

2. Be adaptable and resilient

Academic and professional life rarely follow a straight line.

I’ve moved between countries and institutions, from Europe to Central Asia, which taught me to adapt quickly and to learn from every new environment.

Resilience is essential for navigating challenges, uncertainty, and change. Every setback can become an opportunity to learn, grow, and reinvent yourself.

3. Communicate clearly

Whether drafting a legal argument, writing an academic paper, or explaining complex ideas to students from diverse backgrounds, I have learned that being clear shows respect for both the audience and the subject.  

The most effective communicators make complex ideas easy to understand while keeping their core meaning. Clear, thoughtful language invites others in and fosters understanding.

 4. Collaborate

No one succeeds alone.

Collaboration sparks innovation and shared learning. Working with others across projects, disciplines, or borders strengthens ideas and builds communities.

‘Working with colleagues on edited volumes, research projects, and international conferences has shown me that intellectual partnership is one of the great privileges of academia.’

Equally fulfilling is mentoring students and emerging scholars. Seeing them develop their own voices in international law has been among the most rewarding parts of my work, and a reminder that teaching is, at its best, an act of shared discovery. 

 5. Think beyond yourself

Making a lasting impact means looking beyond your own individual achievements. Building long-term projects requires vision and the ability to bring others along.

Founding the Central Asia Yearbook on International Law taught me that successful initiatives are built on communities of trust, purpose, and shared commitment to knowledge. 

We thrive when we are curious, adaptable, collaborative, communicate clearly, and think strategically, skills which are developed through reflection, humility, and persistence.

For those starting out, my advice is simple: stay curious, remain open to change, express your ideas clearly, invest in others, and think beyond yourself. The impact you make will reach further than you might expect. 

Dr. Sergey Sayapin is Professor at KIMEP University School of Law in Almaty, Kazakhstan. He is the Editor of the forthcoming Central Asia Yearbook on International Law (Brill, 2026) and a Distinguished Global Visiting Scholar at the Centre for International Law, National University of Singapore. 

For more tailored guidance and resources to support your professional journey, visit our professional development page!

To help restore the area’s natural beauty, a group of Chevening alumni, supported by the Chevening Alumni Programme Fund (CAPF), created EcoFest 2024.  

The event brought together hundreds of volunteers for a two-day clean-up festival and environmental workshop. It combined hands-on action with engaging discussions on how education, environmental protection and community joy can go hand in hand.  

Empowering communities through action  

Over 346 volunteers took part in the festival, including more than 160 residents from Bakuriani, Tabatskuri and surrounding villages in the Samtskhe-Javakheti and Shida Kartli regions. The event encouraged participants to take a proactive role in caring for their local environment and fostered a growing sense of shared responsibility and sustainability for Georgia’s environment, as well as collecting an incredible 86, 500 liters of waste over two days.  

‘EcoFest wasn’t just about collecting waste,it was about building awareness and giving people the confidence to protect their own environment. We wanted to show that change starts locally – with us.’ – Chevening alumna Tako Rodonaia, project lead 

Promoting sustainability nationwide  

EcoFest 2024 received widespread national attention, featuring on multiple TV and radio broadcasts, amassing over 205,000 social media views. The project was supported by 21 partner organisations, from local businesses and media outlets to environmental NGOs, highlighting how collaboration between public, private and community sectors can create meaningful impact.  

Beyond cleaning up, the festival demonstrated the importance of education, unity and pride in shared spaces.  

‘Thanks to CAPF, we were able to bring people together around a shared cause. EcoFest reminded everyone that environmental protection can be joyful, communal and deeply meaningful.’ 

The project, ‘Empower Minds: MHPPS for Crisis Affected People’, recognises the increased prevalence of mental health conditions in people affected by humanitarian crises.  Through research, community outreach, capacity building and advocacy, the initiative seeks to facilitate early treatment and consultations and integrate Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) into Somaliland’s national emergency preparedness framework.  

Somaliland’s first comprehensive mental health study 

The programme began with outreach activities and an in-depth study in Qalax Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, marking a significant milestone as the first comprehensive mental health study conducted in Somaliland. Over 600 individuals were reached through structured assessments, helping identify common mental health challenges and offering on-site psychosocial counselling.  

To build local capacity, ten volunteers received training in basic psychosocial counselling and data collection, equipping them with the skills to continue supporting communities, laying the foundation for ongoing capacity-building, sustainability and locally driven support systems.  

In February 2025, a two-day high-level stakeholder conference brought together over 70 participants from government, NGOs, academia and international partners.  

At the conference, Chevening alumni: 

• presented their study’s findings,  

• led discussions on integrating MHPSS into national emergency response plans 
• established a Technical Working Group to guide MHPSS policy integration 

What was achieved?   

Stakeholders reached consensus on the importance of expanding mental health services and committed to implementing study recommendations, which included strengthening research, coordination and policy frameworks.  

The initiative has set a precedent for mental health research and service delivery in Somaliland.  

By training local volunteers and establishing a technical working group, it has laid the foundation for ongoing capacity building and sustainability.  

The project has also elevated the profile of Chevening alumni as influential leaders in humanitarian health showcasing how the global network can drive positive action across the world.   

The Public Health Emergency and Research Centre (PHERC) will keep a close contact with the crisis affected people who participated in this programme and will continue ensuring they access the necessary mental health services and psycho-social support. 

‘I had to really think critically… I’m a better writer and researcher after going to university in the UK.’  

An international learning community  

Beyond the classroom, Chevening scholars are also encouraged to connect and learn from each other. Bea lived in halls at Goodenough College, alongside Chevening scholars and postgraduate students from around the world. They exchanged perspectives not just on food and music, but also on public health, infrastructure, and governance.  

‘Chevening makes it really easy to make friends.’  

This exchange of ideas helped Bea see her own country’s challenges in a new light. From comparing power cuts with peers from across Africa, to discussing health systems in South America, to experiencing London’s public transport and safety firsthand, she realised how different futures are possible, and how policy choices shape them. 

Inspired to achieve more  

Returning to South Africa, Bea quickly earned a promotion at Genesis Analytics, a development consulting firm where she has participated in health policy research focused on health economics and financing. Bea applies the leadership standards and advanced research skills she honed at LSE.   

She also tapped into the Chevening alumni community at home, securing a mentor through her network to help her maximise her impact. 

She believes that she wouldn’t be as far along in her career without support from Chevening and the Anglo American Foundation.   

‘People always say ‘you can’t change the world’, but you can with these degrees.’  

Intense study, amazing connections  

Amanda had visited the UK as a teenager and, as an LGBTQ+ person, felt she could belong there. Plus, at the time she became interested in studying abroad, the UK was passing strong GBV prevention laws. Her research into courses revealed that UK universities taught a behavioural approach to public policy, what Amanda described as ‘the art of understanding how to influence people’s decisions on policy based on psychology.’  

With her degree co-funded by the Lemann Foundation, Amanda now benefits from access to two influential networks. 

‘The best asset you can have [as a social entrepreneur] is the ability to create good and profound connections.’ 

Amanda says her confidence grew as she learned how to connect with other high-achieving individuals with very different perspectives and experiences. She honed her networking, communication, and negotiation capabilities, skills she uses regularly as a founder and CEO. 

She built strong relationships within her Chevening cohort, including Anelize Lenzi Ruas de Almeida, another scholar co-funded by Lemann. Anelize now serves as Attorney General for the National Treasury in Brazil and as a board member for Serenas.  

‘I count my Chevening and Lemann connections among my closest friends and colleagues.’ 

Returning home: Turning WhatsApp messages into a multi-state nonprofit  

‘When I came back, I didn’t have money to start a non-profit, but I had . . . amazing connections and people willing to help. That’s what Chevening does. It makes you feel part of a group, a community that says: let’s help each other.’ 

She credits those connections with helping make Serenas a reality. She put a call out on her Chevening WhatsApp groups, gathered board members from her networks, and contacted professors for advice.   

‘Doing the MPP opened my mind on how I had the potential to have more impact. [Chevening] completely changed my mindset, showing me that what I used to do by myself could actually become public policy. And that’s exactly what we’re seeing now.’ 

Serenas, named for Amanda’s great-grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, was established in 2021. It offers education programs to help first responders deal sensitively and humanely with victims of GBV and supports local governments with outreach programmes and capacity-building for GBV prevention.   

Serenas has since operated in five Brazilian states and has directly impacted more than 60,000 people. Amanda is currently partnering with the Mariana Filizola, a fellow Chevening alumna, the UK Embassy and the Secretariat for Social Communication of the Presidency Brazil, to launch the first nationwide course on internet-based GBV prevention in Brazil.  

In addition to delivering the education programmes Serenas offers, Amanda is proud that she’s been able to build a women-run organisation that is developing confident, skilled female leaders. She continues to take the Serenas message – supporting the rights of women and girls to live free of violence – beyond Brazil. Before Serenas, she worked at organisations such as UNICEF and the MALALA Fund.

In 2023, she was part of the Official Brazilian Committee at the Commission on the Status of Women in the United Nations. In 2024, she was awarded the UK Alumni Prize for Social Impact in Brazil.    

‘I can’t imagine my life without [Chevening]’.  

As a first-generation refugee from Afghanistan, Heela has long been committed to using activism and storytelling to drive systems-level change. But studying in the UK with Chevening helped her to increase her impact and reach more people.

‘Chevening gave me the skills and visibility to launch projects that support thousands of people, and it continues to connect me with leaders and changemakers across the world.’

Read on to find out more.

‘Across the world, millions of young people in conflict and displaced communities are living with untreated trauma,’ Heela explains. ‘Research shows that more than 70% of refugees experience psychological distress, but less than 10% ever receive support… That leaves a huge gap.’

‘I know this first-hand. While working and leading projects, I was diagnosed with CPTSD and I didn’t understand how deeply it was linked to my experiences,’ she shares. ‘If I, with access to education and networks, struggled to recognise or address it, the barrier for a young refugee with no resources is even greater. Many don’t even know what help looks like, or how to ask for it.’

This gap is what led Heela to create MUSKA, a trauma-informed mobile app that combines mental health and sexual and reproductive health support with practical tools to help people rebuild their lives.

‘Most digital mental health tools are built for high-income countries, requiring stable internet, high literacy levels, or cultural familiarity that people in fragile contexts don’t have,’ she says.

That’s why MUSKA is available offline, uses a low level of data, and is accessible in Persian, Pashto, and English.

‘It connects mental health and sexual and reproductive health support with practical skills for business and tech,’ she explains. ‘Because healing alone is not enough… people also need tools to integrate and rebuild.’

With MUSKA, Heela aims to bring together policy, research, and AI-driven technology to create solutions that can be scaled across countries, particularly those facing rising levels of displacement due to climate disasters.

Studying in the UK with Chevening helped make this vision a reality.

‘Chevening opened the door for me to education, leadership opportunities, and global platforms that I would not have accessed otherwise,’ she reflects. ‘Coming to the UK through such a competitive scholarship gave me not just a degree, but the confidence and network to take my work further.’

Looking ahead, Heela’s determined to help more people.

‘My plans are always evolving with the realities around me, but the direction is clear. I want to keep building at the intersection of technology, mental health, and accessibility, making sure that young people and refugees in fragile contexts are not left behind.’

‘Scaling MUSKA is a key priority; expanding to more languages, integrating AI for personalised support, and linking wellbeing with skills for entrepreneurship and climate resilience.’

Wherever you are in the world, you’ll find inspiring Chevening alumni like Heela making a positive impact.

These tailored short courses are for mid-career professionals who have already reached a position of influence but want to increase their knowledge, networks, and potential, so that they can make a meaningful impact back home.

One such programme is the Chevening Western Balkans Cyber Security Fellowship.

Delivered by Cranfield University, this ten-week programme explores legislative and policy approaches to cyber security and the corresponding implications for national security, commercial opportunity, crime prevention, and the right to privacy.

For fellows, taking part in this programme is more than just a professional milestone; it’s a catalyst for long-term change.

Class of 2020 Chevening alumnus Predrag Puharic’s story is a testament to this.

Read on to find out how Predrag leveraged his Chevening Fellowship experience to advance his career and revolutionise the cyber security landscape in his home country.

How did you use your Chevening experience to make a positive impact back home?

‘Bosnia and Herzegovina lacked an independent and trusted institution to strengthen cybersecurity capacity for academia, civil society, and independent media.

Drawing on my Chevening experience, I founded the Cyber Security Excellence Centre (CSEC) – the first initiative of its kind in the country. CSEC has since become a recognised regional hub, providing threat intelligence, awareness training, and capacity-building projects supported by international partners.

In parallel, my professional journey led me into public service. I served as the Mayor of Sarajevo (2024–2025) and currently as Deputy Mayor, where I combine technical expertise with executive leadership. These roles allow me to demonstrate how international education and fellowships can translate into tangible public impact.’

How did your Chevening experience help you to achieve your goals?

‘Chevening gave me credibility and access to a powerful international network. The fellowship at Cranfield strengthened my academic and practical understanding of cyber policy, while also connecting me to mentors and peers who remain invaluable today.

It was also a platform from which I gained further recognition: after Chevening, I was selected for the CRDF Fellowship at Purdue University and later for the US State Department’s IVLP programme. These opportunities were possible because Chevening had already established me as a trusted and internationally engaged professional.’

What are your plans for the future?

‘My goal is to scale the impact of the Cyber Security Excellence Centre across the Western Balkans and further develop it into a regional hub for resilience, research, and training. At the same time, I will continue contributing to governance, whether in public office or through policy advisory work, where integrity and international cooperation remain central.

I see myself as part of a hybrid generation of leaders: rooted in technical expertise, strengthened by international fellowships, and committed to serving society through transparent and accountable governance.’

How could studying in the UK with a fully funded Chevening Fellowship help you achieve your goals?

Applications for several fellowship programmes are open until 7 October. Find out more and apply!

The BBC’s commitment to inclusion was particularly meaningful for Isabella, who brought her own lived experience as a deaf professional to the internship.  

‘The BBC’s Rethink Disability festival really inspired me. It showed how the media industry can become more inclusive and accessible. It pushed me to make sure my own work and the spaces I create are open to everyone.’ 

The internship also brought personal growth. Isabella describes how mentorship from senior leaders, like BBC News Executive Producer Miriam Quansah, gave her the confidence to advocate for herself and step into new opportunities. 

‘She taught me to actively seek opportunities and ask to be part of projects that will further my growth. This mentorship from someone who has built teams and driven innovation across geographies gave me insights that have been crucial in my artistic career, helping me approach high-level contacts and stakeholders.’ 

Beyond these mentorship relationships, the connections she fostered with senior figures at the BBC have been just as important. 

‘Colleagues from the BBC Monitoring’s Data Hub team were so generous in teaching me new tools and ways of thinking. Those relationships are still a source of guidance and support.’ 

Now working full-time as an artist, Isabella says the internship gave her new skills and the confidence to achieve greater impact with her work. 

‘I push creative boundaries while carrying forward the design sensibilities, inclusive storytelling, and audience awareness I developed at the BBC. The Chevening BBC internship gave me not only skills but also a global perspective, showing me that creativity and communication can drive change across borders.’ 

‘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: 

1. The way his classes challenged him  
2. The opportunity to take part in research 
3. Hearing directly from experts about different approaches to constitution building 

‘I didn’t imagine I could sit with professors discussing constitution building and not feel out of my depth, but I managed.’ 

Outside the classroom 

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.’ 

Impact back home 

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. 

Living and learning in the UK 

According to Anelize, the academic experience offered exactly what she was looking for. The MPP challenged her to think about how to apply policy theory in practice.   

She found the studies challenging, especially as she adjusted to expressing herself mostly in English. The experience, she admits made her ‘less intellectually arrogant’ and broadened her perspective. She excelled in her programme, contributing a research paper on big data, tax administration, and government trust for the BSG’s Integrity Programme.  

The cultural opportunities also exceeded Anelize’s expectations. She visited museums, shows, and historical sites in Oxford and London. However, the most profound aspect of her experience was the people she met.   

‘I never lost an opportunity to go to someone’s house.’ 

She remains close friends with fellow Cheveners to this day.  

Making an impact at the highest level of government   

Meeting other Cheveners and Oxford students from different disciplines and countries gave Anelize new insights and different perspectives on policy issues, expanding her ability to problem-solve and innovate. 

‘Doors began to open for me because of my master’s degree. Oxford has a power in people’s minds.’ 

This cross-cultural approach to policy prepared her for greater leadership responsibilities when she returned to Brazil. 

Since 2023, Anelize has served as the Attorney General of the National Treasury under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.  She now leads the legal side of Brazil’s Ministry of Finance, encouraging her team not only to provide legal advice but to think creatively about policy solutions. 

‘Since I arrived at my current position, I started a movement to not only provide legal advice but try to stimulate [my team] to think outside of the box.’ 

Her current work includes shaping Brazil’s response to tariffs imposed by the United States. She and her team balance legal protection for industries with policies that improve the lives of communities. 

Outside government, Anelize continues to make an impact. She serves on the board of Serenas, a nonprofit founded by a fellow Chevener that works to prevent gender-based violence.  

She also mentors young women in the Alumna programme, another non-profit founded by a Chevening graduate, and remains actively engaged with the UK Embassy and the Lemann Foundation. 

Reflecting on her journey, Anelize believes Chevening gave her the confidence to step into uncomfortable spaces and take risks that reshaped her career.  

‘I made myself uncomfortable to take advantage of opportunities.’