News and blogs

The Chevening community extends to all corners of the globe. Here is the latest news on what is going on in the Chevening network, and blogs from members of our community.

Eight of my best Orientation moments

by Chevening Scholars - Class of 2019,

In the weeks since Orientation 2019, scholars have had the chance to step back and reflect on Orientation, and meeting 1,750 scholars from 141 countries and territories around the world. For some, the best moments consisted of seeing those they hadn’t seen since leaving their home countries, and for others, it meant meeting new people […]

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A Mexican celebration of death

by Diana Infante-Vargas, Chevening Scholar and Social Media Ambassador

There is a popular song in Mexico with lyrics to the effect of, ‘If I die away from Mexico, let them say I’m asleep, and have them bring me back home.’ The concept of death in Mexican culture is one unlike any other in the world – as we mourn death, we also celebrate it […]

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Was my Airbnb host a…witch?

by Samrat Choudhury, Independent Journalist and Author

In my defence, I had made the bookings in a rush. I was in London, and my India SIM card wasn’t working so I couldn’t get the one-time passwords required for online bookings. It was only at the last moment that the problem was resolved, and I did all my bookings in one go, afraid […]

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Six of my best purchases so far

by Chevening Scholars - Class of 2019,

If you’re moving to the UK, your packing list will probably include a few key items which you will want to bring with you. Among these; your toothbrush, stuffed bear, comfortable walking shoes, all 312,441 items from your wardrobe, and one item of dry food that you know customs won’t take from you – as […]

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When parallels meet

by Sevgi Kaymak, Communications Assistant

If you’ve watched the 1979 satirical British comedy, ‘Monty Python’s Life of Brian’, you will no doubt remember the scene in which Brian exclaims to a large audience, ‘You are all individuals’, and to which they respond (in unison), ‘Yes, we’re all individuals’. In 1979, it was probably easier to make a statement such as […]

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‘We must always stay true to our values’ – Rita French at Chevening Orientation 2019

by Rita French, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva and International Ambassador for Human Rights

Chevening Orientation 2019 marked the start of a challenging and exciting year for the 1,750-strong Chevening Scholarships class of 2019. It was an opportunity for them to meet and network with each other, prepare themselves for the year ahead, and take in the knowledge and advice of our illustrious keynote speakers. Rita French, the UK’s first ever international human rights ambassador, shared the following words of wisdom for our scholars…

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Rita French - Chevening Orientation 2019 speech

My best Chevening moment I’m most excited about

by Chevening Scholars - Class of 2018,

As we complete the transition period between Chevening’s classes of 2018 and 2019, we wanted to share what incoming scholars are most excited about (outside of their studies) and what outgoing scholars considered their best moments of their year in the UK in this round up. 1. CHEVENING GATHERINGS Yousuf Alrawi, Iraq ‘My best Chevening […]

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