‘Beacon of hope’: prestigious UK scholarship reopens to Afghans

Applications to the UK’s prestigious Chevening scheme have reopened to applicants based in Afghanistan for the first time since the Taliban takeover. 

Chevening offers scholarships to study master’s degrees in the UK, fully funded by the British government. 

Participants in the scheme, who are selected for their leadership potential, are expected to return to their home countries after they complete their studies and contribute to their development. Many go on to prestigious positions, including in national governments. 

However, Afghans have been largely shut out of the scholarship programme since the Taliban seized control of the country in 2021. 

In 2022, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, which runs the programme, did open the scheme to Afghans for the 2023-24 cycle, but only to those residing outside the country. 

It blamed safety concerns for the decision. In particular, the terms of the scheme create logistical issues, particularly because it might be unsafe for selected Afghans to return to their homes after studying in the UK. 

However, the exclusion left some in Afghanistan – particularly women – feeling as though an important door had been closed to them.

Now Chevening is once again allowing Afghan nationals based in the country to apply for the 2025-26 academic year, four months after the scheme opened to applicants from other countries. 

Naimat Zafary, a Chevening alumnus from Afghanistan and a PhD student at the University of Sussex, described the resumption of the programme as “a beacon of hope”. 

“This decision will undoubtedly empower Afghan women, providing them with the tools and knowledge to shape their own destinies and contribute to the betterment of their country,” he said. 

Many Chevening alumni from Afghanistan had protested against the previous closure of the scheme, particularly in light of the severe restrictions on women’s education under the Taliban. 

According to data released earlier this year, university enrolment in Afghanistan has fallen by more than half since the Taliban takeover, with women banned from education beyond primary school level. 

Other scholarship and funding schemes have successfully helped women to leave Afghanistan and study abroad, including a Scottish programme that enabled 19 students to enrol in medical studies programmes at the nation’s universities in August.

“The announcement of the Chevening scholarship programme being paused for Afghanistan was a devastating blow to the dreams and aspirations of countless Afghan students, particularly young women,” Zafary said. “Education is a fundamental right, and to deny it to a generation of Afghans is a grave injustice.”

Along with fellow alumni, Mr Zafary is holding a series of online information sessions for students in Afghanistan to help them apply for the scheme. 

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com