Commonwealth Alumnus Dr Vijaya Ragahavan, a Consultant Psychiatrist and Head of the Youth Mental Health Programme at the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF), created a video to educate youth in India on the causes and symptoms of depression. The video highlights the importance of raising awareness about mental health and issues facing children and young people which are often overlooked in Indian society.
Commonwealth Alumnus Dr Sylivia Nalubega, Lecturer in Nursing at Soroti University, created an awareness video on the topic of WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) aimed at promoting the use of safe water to prevent illness to those living in Uganda. In her work as a nurse, health promotion and disease prevention are part of Dr Nalubega’s role, and she is therefore aware of the important need to spread awareness on the topic of safe water to those living in the Teso sub-region.
Commonwealth Alumnus Dr Evelyn Funjika, a lecturer and researcher at the University of Zambia, created a video to raise awareness around the importance of handwashing and the need to improve access to clean water for everyone. The key message in the video included sensitising local communities to wash their hands more frequently to reduce the burden of infectious diseases.
In April, the CSC held the first residential workshop of 2022 for Commonwealth Master’s and Shared Scholars. The Maximising your Impact: training for development workshop took place between Friday 1 April and Sunday 3 April 2022 at Cumberland Lodge in Windsor Great...
The CSC Evaluation Team is always keen to explore more innovative ways to identify and measure the outcomes and impact of Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships. In 2019-2020 we conducted a trial and a pilot study to test the feasibility and effectiveness of using diary methods as a potential tool to collect information on the experiences, activities, and events of our alumni ‘in the moment’ following the Scholarship.
‘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.
Exploring the outcomes and impact of Commonwealth Scholarships.
In this series of case studies, we explore individual trajectories through in-depth interviews, taking a deep dive into the ground-breaking work and developmental impact from around the Commonwealth
This series of infographics provides an overview of the six currently active CSC Scholarship and Fellowship programmes. Using pictograms, symbols and graphs, these infographics share headline data from our evaluation surveys and programme reviews, detailing the demographic breakdown, on-award experience, and post-award impact of Commonwealth Scholars, Fellows and Alumni.
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.
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.
