London —Applications for the UK Government’s prestigious Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme (SAJP) Fellowship have opened for journalists across Pakistan.

The Chevening SAJP Fellowship is aimed at mid-career journalists from South Asian countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives; and enables them to learn, build on their experience and unleash their potential.

Applicants can apply for the fellowship by submitting their online applications at http://www.chevening.org/programme/south-asia-journalism until 9 October, 2019.

Acting British High Commissioner to Pakistan Richard Crowder said:

“I am delighted to announce that applications for the UK’s Chevening SAJP Fellowship 2020 are now open.

Media is one of the most important pillars of democracy with the UK championing the work of journalists and media freedom worldwide, including through the recent Global Conference for Media Freedom held in London this July.

Applicants will have the opportunity to join an exclusive club of over 45 journalists from Pakistan that have benefitted from the SAJP fellowship; the programme provides a unique opportunity to build a local, regional and global network of professional significance, further strengthening the great links between our two countries.

I would particularly welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply; our ambition is to have an equal split between women and men who are awarded Chevening scholarships from Pakistan.”

Through the Chevening SAJP Fellowship, fellows will undertake a bespoke eight week programme titled ‘Good Governance in a Changing World: the Media, Politics and Society’ at the University of Westminster in the UK. The programme explores the different ways in which the media play a part in holding democratic processes to account, including government, the civil service and security, as well as the broader political system in both the South Asia region and the UK.

The SAJP fellowship offers full programme fees, living expenses for the duration of the fellowship and return economy flight for the UK. To be eligible for a Chevening SAJP Fellowship, applicants must have at least seven years work experience prior to applying and a postgraduate level qualification at the time of application. Applicants should be mid-career journalists working in the political or economic sectors in Pakistan and have good working knowledge of English (which may be assessed by a qualified English language assessor) Visit www.chevening.org/fellowship for detailed information on the eligibility criteria and award specifications.

The fellowship programme will commence in March 2020. The fellowship is hosted by the University of Westminster and funded by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

The Chevening programme was established in 1983 and recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. In that time over 50,000 outstanding professionals have had the opportunity to experience the UK and develop their careers through Chevening. There are more than 1,500 scholarships on offer globally for the 2019/2020 academic year, demonstrating the UK’s long-standing commitment to developing the leaders of tomorrow. The name ‘Chevening’ comes from Chevening House in Sevenoaks, Kent – currently the joint official residence of the UK’s Foreign Secretary.