A scholarship programme jointly launched with the British Council will see more women in South East Asian countries supported to study at The University of Warwick.

The ASEAN – UK SAGE: Women in STEM ScholarshipsLink opens in a new window will provide the opportunity for six outstanding women students from Vietnam, Timor-Leste, Myanmar, Cambodia and Malaysia to study a one-year Master’s course at the University.

The Master’s courses, covering whole range of subjects from Engineering and Biomedical Science will start in autumn 2024.

The first Warwick recipients of the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarship are:

• Chou I, Heng (Cambodia) – MSc Analytical Sciences and Instrumentation, University of Warwick

• Ng, Charlene (Malaysia) – MSc Computer Science, University of Warwick

• Thet, Win Nandar (Myanmar) – MSc Humanitarian Engineering with Sustainability, University of Warwick

• Lam, Ngoc Ngan (Vietnam) – MSc Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research, University of Warwick

• Nguyen, Ha Phuong Thao (Vietnam) – MSc Engineering Business Management, University of Warwick

• Guterres de Sa Benevides, Dirce Maria Jose (Timor-Leste) – MSc Engineering Business Management, University of Warwick

These talented individuals share a passion and vision to make a difference through STEM, a field where women are traditionally underrepresented. Women account for only 29.2% of the STEM workforce globally, despite representing almost half of the non-STEM employment sector (World Economic Forum).

Professor Michael Scott, Pro-Vice Chancellor (International), University of Warwick, commented, “The University of Warwick is deeply committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment that empowers students from all backgrounds. Through this scholarship, we are not only welcoming talented women from South East Asia into our academic community, but we are also supporting the global effort to bridge the gender gap in STEM fields.

"We are confident that these scholars will make significant contributions both during their time at Warwick and in their future careers, inspiring others to pursue excellence in STEM.”

Secretary-General of ASEAN, H. E. Dr. Kao Kim Hourn said, “This scholarship programme underscores the UK and ASEAN’s shared commitment to gender equality and female empowerment in STEM. By supporting girls and marginalised communities in accessing education and improving foundational learning, we aim to bridge the gender gap and foster a more inclusive and innovative future.”

Ambassador of the UK to ASEAN, H. E. Sarah Tiffin said, “As an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, the UK is committed to advancing girls' education across ASEAN region through the SAGE programme, ensuring equitable access to quality education for all girls. We are excited to offer this great opportunity to our new scholars. Their talent and dedication is inspirational, and we look forward to seeing how they will shape the future of STEM in ASEAN after studying at the UK’s world-class universities.”

Summer Xia, Director Southeast Asia, British Council said, “We are immensely proud of these women and their accomplishments. As the lead implementation partner of the ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme, the British Council is honoured to support the educational journey of these outstanding scholars. We believe their success stories and future contribution will be invaluable to the advancement of STEM disciplines and inspire many more women and girls to follow in their footsteps.”

The ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme is the UK’s flagship education programme in ASEAN, aiming to improve foundational learning outcomes in basic literacy and numeracy, support girls and marginalised groups to access education, and to break down gender barriers to digital skills and employment, thus empowering young women to flourish to their full potential.

The scholarship has been developed by the British CouncilLink opens in a new window, and funded by the UK Government through the ASEAN – UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education (SAGE) Programme.

ENDS

Note for editors:

Background information on ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme

The ASEAN-UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education Programme or ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme is a five-year UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) funded programme for ASEAN and Timor-Leste running between 2023 and 2028 with funding up to GBP 30 million.

The ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme was officially announced in May 2023 at the Education World Forum (EWF) in London.

The ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme supports better education outcomes for women and girls and marginalised groups. It supports delivery of the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2021 – 2025, the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan IV 2021 – 2025, and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint. The Programme also supports action lines under the 2016 ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Education for Out-of-School Children and Youth.

Specifically, ASEAN-UK SAGE aims to provide evidence-based technical input that enables key players in the region including the ASEAN Secretariat (ASEC), Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), and ASEAN Member States (AMS) to develop effective policies and programmes that improve foundational learning for all and tackle exclusion and constraints limiting the achievement of girls and marginalised groups.

The programme is delivered through the following workstreams/pillars:
• Foundational learning crisis, post pandemic
• Out-of-school girls and marginalised groups
• Gender barriers to digital skills and employment

The integration of education technology cuts across all three pillars.

Activities under the Programme include technical assistance; project-type interventions; research, evidence, and data; and advocacy.

The ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme is co-led and delivered by British Council (www.britishcouncil.org) and SEAMEO Secretariat (www.seameo.org) in partnership with the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) (www.acer.org) and EdTech Hub (www.edtechhub.org).