News
Read the latest news about the CSC community and find out more about our current Scholars and Fellows, Alumni and partners.
Latest News
Commonwealth Alumni in Nigeria hold first international conference
On 14 and 15 October, the Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows Alumni Association Nigeria (COSFAN) held their first international conference on the theme, ‘Reimagining an inclusive society through governance, technology and social justice’. The event was held at the...
Showcasing Commonwealth Entrepreneurs in Nigeria
On 03 October 2024, Commonwealth Alumni in Nigeria convened to showcase and spotlight development impact through entrepreneurship and business innovation, as part of their celebrations to mark 65 years of Commonwealth Scholarships. The event comprised a business fair...
British High Commission in Sierra Leone hosts reception for 2024 Commonwealth Scholars
On 19 September, 2024 Commonwealth Scholars from Sierra Leone joined fellow 2024 Chevening Scholars at a pre-departure reception hosted by the British High Commission in Sierra Leone. The new British High Commissioner, Josephine Gauld, hosted the event, her first...
CSC Mentoring Programme 2024-2025 – applications now open!
The CSC’s Mentoring Programme connects Commonwealth Scholars and Alumni to support knowledge and skills development and a practical understanding of how these can be implemented post-scholarship to achieve development impact. The CSC aims to pair current Scholars...
Scholars explore the barriers and progress to LGBT+ equality at residential retreat
In 2023/24, the CSC’s Time Limited Programme focuses on LGBT+ Rights and aims to encourage dialogue and engagement on the issues affecting LGBT+ people in the Commonwealth. As part of its programme of activities, earlier this year the CSC was pleased to host a...
Nurturing an entrepreneurial mindset in Zambia
On 19 August, the Commonwealth Alumni Association of Zambia (CAAZ) held a webinar on the importance of entrepreneurship, and the skills needed for alumni to thrive in entrepreneurial ventures. The event explored the concept of an entrepreneurial mindset through...
Development in Action webinar series: Breadbasket in peril – strategies to combat wheat blast for food security
On Friday 30 August, the CSC Alumni Team invited Commonwealth Alumnus Dr Tofazzal Islam to deliver a webinar on ‘Breadbasket in peril: strategies to combat wheat blast for food security’. This webinar addressed the CSC development theme of strengthening resilience...
Meet the 2024 CSC Alumni Community Engagement Fund organisers
The CSC Alumni Team are pleased to announce the winners of the 2024 CSC Alumni Community Engagement Fund (ACEF). Over the next nine months, they will plan and deliver community-focused engagement activities to raise awareness across one of five chosen themes. Keep...
Alumni collaborate to promote Commonwealth Scholarships in West Africa
On 30 July, three alumni associations in West Africa collaborated to deliver an information session on Commonwealth Scholarships to prospective applicants. Commonwealth Alumni representing the Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows Alumni Association Nigeria (COSFAN),...
Development in Action webinar series: Gender and development in Fiji and the Pacific: A practitioner’s perspective
On Wednesday 31 July, the CSC Alumni Team hosted a webinar on “Gender and development in Fiji and the Pacific: a practitioner’s perspective”, delivered by Commonwealth Alumnus Kaushal Sharma. This webinar addressed the CSC development theme of Access, inclusion and...
Latest Publications and Resources
Knowledge, Networks and Development: 20 years of Commonwealth Professional Fellowships
‘In my career, it’s the best thing that’s ever happened’ said Dr Akinniyi Ayobami Adeleke, reflecting on the transformative impact of his CSC Professional Fellowship. As Head Librarian at Redeemer’s University in Nigeria, Dr Adeleke continually applies the advanced computer programming and management skills gained through his Fellowship at the University of East London towards the upgrading and modernisation of his university’s library services, as well as the upskilling of his colleagues.
Alumni Voices: Exploring the Outcomes and Impact of Commonwealth Scholarships
The CSC has long known that its Alumni go on to become change agents in their institutions and communities and that their Scholarships and Fellowships are a key contributor to this work. The establishment of the CSC’s dedicated Evaluation and Monitoring programme has facilitated the systematic gathering of evidence and data to support this knowledge, initially through surveys but increasingly through more innovative and rich methodologies including, most recently, a case study approach. This approach, as applied by the CSC, has involved investigation of individual Alumni trajectories through in-depth interviews, giving them an opportunity to share details of their experiences and developmental activities following the Scholarship. The case study approach allowed for a much more thorough investigation and understanding of the wider benefits of the Commonwealth Scholarships as well as the wide variety of contexts that have facilitated or hindered the achievement of Scholarship outcomes and impact.
CSC @ DHG 2021
After co-hosting the 10th Donor Harmonisation Group Forum in London in partnership with the Association of Commonwealth Universities and British Council, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission was pleased to attend the 11th Donor Harmonisation Group Forum in Basel,...
Experiences of Commonwealth Scholars and Alumni: Enabling Factors and Barriers to Scholarship Impact
The CSC offers a wide range of Scholarships and Fellowships which provide opportunities for talented and motivated individuals from across the Commonwealth to gain knowledge and skills with the aim of contributing towards sustainable development. Over the years, data collected from the Commonwealth Alumni has reinforced anecdotal evidence that the wide variety of contexts that Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows return to can act as barriers or enabling factors (or in some cases both) when it comes to Alumni securing relevant employment, applying the skills and knowledge acquired during their studies to their full potential, and realising their potential for development impact.
Forging connections and collaboration across the Commonwealth: A Review of the Commonwealth Academic Fellowship Programme
As well as offering Scholarships for postgraduate and doctoral study, the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission has funded almost 2,500 Academic Fellowships since 1969, providing early and mid-career academics from across the Commonwealth with the opportunity to work and undertake research at UK universities. The CSC Evaluation Team recently undertook a review of the programme using data gathered from the 2015-2017 cohorts. The aim was to identify the outcomes, impact, and the scope of the potential short and long-term benefits of the Academic Fellowships on the Fellows’ Host institutions in the UK and their employing institutions in their home countries, as well as on the Fellows themselves.
Learning more about the Commonwealth Split-site programme
The CSC has proudly offered Scholarships for Split-site doctoral study for over twenty years and is delighted to announce the launch of the 2021 programme. Since 1998, this programme has provided a unique opportunity for more than 500 Commonwealth Scholars studying...
Twenty Years of Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships
The CSC is proud to have supported over 3,000 exceptional scholars from 41 countries across the Commonwealth to undertake Commonwealth Scholarships by Distance Learning over the last two decades. In the run-up to the twentieth anniversary of the programme, the CSC is preparing to undertake an in-depth programme evaluation, beginning with the publication of a short rapid analysis summary and infographic highlighting the unique attributes and impact of the programme.
Commonwealth Doctoral Scholarships 1960 – 2015
The CSC is extremely proud of its support for doctoral research and of the thousands of Commonwealth Alumni who have obtained their PhD as a result. This review, completed in 2017 looked at the Commonwealth PhD Scholarship programme from 1960-2015 by which point over...
Successes and complexities: the outcomes of UK Commonwealth Scholarships 1960-2012
The CSC's commitment to evaluation and monitoring and to understanding the post award experiences of its Scholars and Alumni led to the further expansion of its data gathering, with a refined survey building on the experience of the initial alumni impact survey...
A study of research methodology used in evaluations of international scholarship schemes for higher education
International scholarship schemes for higher education are widely supported by governments, supranational bodies, and charitable organisations as part of both public diplomacy and developmental assistance commitments. Although the objectives of many scholarship...
