Handbook

For Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows
in the United Kingdom

After your scholarship

Join the CSC Alumni Network

You are a Commonwealth Scholar for life and part of a community of over 31,000 Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows funded through the CSC. As an engaged alumnus, you will:

  • Receive a CSC certificate verifying your scholarship or fellowship.
  • Have the opportunity to feature in and contribute to Common Knowledge, the CSC’s magazine for the Commonwealth Scholarships community.
  • Be able to join and contribute to local alumni associations (where applicable) and attend in-country events.
  • Receive The Common Room, our quarterly alumni email newsletter featuring updates from the CSC community.
  • Have the opportunity to attend and deliver live webinars through the Development in Action webinar series. The series provides a platform for Commonwealth Scholars and Alumni to discuss their work and contribution to development across a range of contemporary global challenges and provide insight into ongoing research and action.
  • Apply to become a Mentor to a new Scholar through the CSC Mentoring Programme.
  • Have access to the CSC’s six Knowledge Hubs, which provide an online platform to network and exchange ideas with Scholars and alumni studying and working in similar disciplines.
  • Be eligible to apply to join the Alumni Advisory Panel and contribute to the development of CSC activities.

To find out more about the CSC Alumni Network, visit the Alumni page or contact alumni@cscuk.org.uk

Share your experiences

The CSC Evaluation and Monitoring Programme is responsible for investigating the outcomes and impact of Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships and providing evidence of this impact to the CSC’s funders and other stakeholders.

The Evaluation team relies on Scholars and Fellows to help with this, and the CSC expects Scholars and Fellows to assist with this work through participation in pre- and post-award surveys. The team works to ensure that this is not too demanding for Scholars and Fellows, and most of you will simply be invited to complete surveys at particular points before and after your scholarship. There are also opportunities to play a more active role if you wish to, through participation in activities such as interviews and focus groups, the work of the Alumni Advisory Panel, or by contributing to specific research projects.

You can read more about our reports and publications or contact evaluation@cscuk.org.uk to find out more. Thank you in advance for your assistance with this very important work.