Applications are now closed from candidates for Chevening Scholarships for 2008/2009

In order to be considered for a 2008-09 Chevening Scholarship Award, applicants are invited to submit completed applications from 3 September 2007 to 18 October 2007.  Applications received before or after these dates will not be considered. Only candidates who are chosen for interview will be contacted.

The Chevening Scholarship Award Scheme is the official British Government scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO, the British foreign ministry).  The British Council, as the UK’s principal organisation for cultural relations and education, administers the Scheme on behalf of the FCO. As elsewhere in the World, the Chevening programme in Iraq is also partly funded by corporate sponsors.  BP have funded four of the 2006 Awards under the “Bob Morgan Chevening Scholarship”.

Chevening has been in existence for over a decade, and is now about to begin its fifth year in the Republic of Iraq.  In 2006, around 2000 exceptional students from all over the World will study in the UK under Chevening. Former Chevening Scholars internationally include two heads of government and numerous senior officials, artists, journalists and businessmen.

Around twenty scholars from Iraq have now completed their selection and placement procedures this year, and will begin study in August and September 2007.  Their selection process began in 2006, and they have been chosen from among over one thousand applicants, having been assessed on their written applications, a tough interview, and an English language exam (IELTS).

The next round of selection interviews will be held later this year, for courses beginning in the academic year 2008-9 (for example, a masters programme would probably begin in September 2008, and end in September 2009).  

Applicants are invited to apply from 3 September to 18 October 2007. Applications received before or after these dates will not be considered. Due to the number of applications expected, only short listed candidate will be contacted for interview by 30 November 2007. We regret we can not contact unsuccessful applicants.

How to apply?

You can apply from 3 September 2007 - 18 October 2007.  Applications received before or after these dates will not be considered.  Applications with missing information will not be considered.

Please note that British Council staff may not discuss an application with you.

To apply you will need to download an application form from:

Download Chevening application form

Please note it is mandatory to provide all relevant documentation with your application, otherwise the application will not be considered. If you are invited to interview you will be asked to provide full and original transcripts and certificates of your qualifications along with references. Please make sure to submit your original documents at the day of the interview. You can submit your application by email to:

chevening.iraq@britishcouncil.org.jo

For Chevening enquires, please call 00 964 (0) 7901 945 710 (Working hours 09:30 - 12:00 and 13:00 - 14:30), or email to enquiries.iraq@britishcouncil.org

Important note: application forms from current FCO staff members' and those that have left the employment within the last two years at FCO departments, will not be considered.

How to complete the form?

1.The application form should be completed using the Microsoft Office Word software.

2.Page 1 of the form should be scanned with the photo as a JPG image.

3.Page 8 of the form should be signed by the applicant and scanned as a JPG image.

4.All other references and academic transcripts should be scanned and saved as a JPG image.

Who can apply?

Any Iraqi national resident in Iraq can apply.  Most Chevening scholars are aged between 25 and 35, and those aged over 40 would not normally be considered.  Successful candidates normally have a good bachelors degree, and must also have an established career and a record of high achievement.

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office encourages diversity, and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender or orientation.

What are the selection criteria?

The first criterion is that the candidate must demonstrate that they are able to achieve the highest level in their profession. They must convince the selection panel that they have a realistic ambition to achieve a position wherein they can have a broad influence in their area of work.  Candidates will be assessed on their personal skills and qualities, and require an exceptional professional and academic record.

The second criterion is that the course of study or training requested is relevant to the stated career goals. It must be shown that by obtaining that training or qualification they will have a sufficient advantage over their peers to succeed.

All candidates must speak, read and write English fluently.  The standard test for UK institutions is IELTS, and successful candidates will normally need to pass with a score of 6.5, or in some cases 7.0, before beginning a course in the UK.  More information and material for IELTS is available at: www.ielts.org

What are the best areas of study?

There are no restrictions whatsoever on the area of study, provided it is relevant and necessary to the candidate’s professional ambitions.  The course can be academic, professional or vocational.  Chevening Scholarships can only fund study in the United Kingdom – not Iraq or a third country.

It is recommended that applicants research thoroughly the courses available.  The application form asks the candidate to suggest at least three courses. All should be clearly relevant to the professional ambition described in the application.Information on courses in the UK can also be found on the Internet.  Some useful web sites include:

For information on studying in the UK please access the British Council website: www.britishcouncil.org and the Chevening website: www.chevening.com

HEFCE has a list of all UK universities and colleges of higher education with a hypertext link to each of their websites: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/unicoll/he

One of the best sources for information on postgraduate study in the UK is: http://www.scit.wlv.ac.uk/ukinfo/uk.map.html This site has a map showing UK universities and colleges of higher education, but it has been refined, so you can link directly to the selected institution’s postgraduate website, by selecting on ‘Postgraduate prospectus’ from the menu.

UKOSA (UK Council for International Education) also has a section for international students, with good general info about studying in the UK, visas, immigration, finance, etc…and it has links to other sites: http://www.ukcosa.org.uk/pages/advice.htm

How will the selection take place?

After the applications deadline has passed 18 October 2007, all applications will be examined carefully.  Those that are judged to meet the standard will be contacted for an interview in November 2007.  The interview will be a panel, chaired by the Chevening Officer from the British Embassy, with a representative from the British Council as education specialist, and usually a third panel member from the Embassy, the British Council, or possibly a commercial sponsor.

Once interviews have been completed, the marks will be compared, and the Chevening Officer will make a recommendation to the Ambassador to approve a final selection.  Successful candidates will then be informed by telephone and e-mail by the British Council and will be informed of the next stages in the application process.