All You Need to Know About the Chevening South Asia Journalism Fellowship

Chevening has announced the South Asia Journalism Fellowship (SAJP) for mid-career journalists from South Asian countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives.

The fellowship is hosted by the University of Westminster and is funded by the United Kingdom (UK) Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.

Here are the details of the fellowship program.

Course/Program Structure

The candidates will undertake an eight-week fellowship titled ‘Good Governance in a Changing World: the Media, Politics, and Society.’

The program explores the various approaches the media takes to holding democratic processes accountable, including the government, the civil service, and security, along with extensive political systems in South Asia and the UK.

The fellows will be required to discuss key policy debates, understand international positions, provide practical experiences, and promote exchanges on important issues.

The program comprises eight rigorous weeks of lectures, visits, and discussions that acquaint the fellows with field-related UK academics, media, and political figures. In their final week, they will arrange a symposium on the topic of their choice.

Benefits

• Complete coverage of program fees.
• Living expenses for the duration of the fellowship.
• Return economy airfare from the candidate’s country of residence to the UK.

Eligibility Criteria

An applicant must:

• Be a citizen of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, or the Maldives.
• Have a postgraduate level qualification (or equivalent professional training or experience in a relevant area)
• when applying.
• Have a minimum of seven years of work experience prior to applying.
• Be a mid-career journalist working in the political or economic sectors in one of the above-mentioned countries.
• Be proficient in English, which will be assessed in the application form and in the interview (if invited).
• Not be a holder of British or dual-British citizenship
• Agree to adhere to all relevant guidelines and expectations of the fellowship.
• Return to their country after the completion of the fellowship.

How to Apply

Interested individuals can register on the link of the Chevening website and submit their applications accordingly.

Deadline

The deadline to apply for the fellowship is 12 October 2022.

Stages/Phases of Fellowship Placement Process

Below is the sequential breakdown of the fellowship placement process:

• Applications Close
• Phase 1: Examining the eligibility criteria of the applications and their assessment by independent reading committees.
  • British embassies/high commissions shortlist the applications.

• Phase 2: Shortlisted applicants are notified about their interviews.
  • All the shortlisted applicants must submit reference letters before their interview.
  • Where possible, they will be notified two to three weeks prior to their interviews.
  • Interview period and announcement of results.

• Phase 3: Applicants will receive a Conditional Award Letter (CAL) from the Chevening Secretariat, issued within two weeks of the conditional section.
  • The candidates will have to complete and return all CAL forms by the deadline.
    • Acceptance form and acknowledgment of Chevening Fellowships terms and conditions.
    • Client Care Letter – only required if the candidate’s fellowship host does not provide immigration guidance.
    • Health form.
    • Copy of the photo page of the candidate’s passport.

• Phase 4: The Chevening Secretariat will prepare the Final Award List (FAL).
  • It will be posted to the candidate from the British embassy/high commission in their country (within two weeks of the CAL deadline).

• Phase 5: Pre-departure advice will be emailed to the candidate.
  • Tailored visa and immigration advice – only given if the candidate’s fellowship host does not provide immigration guidance.
  • Travel booking details.
  • Accommodation advice.
  • Allowances and payment advice.
  • Request for the candidate’s biography (within a week of the issuance of the FAL).
  • The candidate is to apply for the visa as per the provided advice.
  • The candidate is to book their flight to the UK after receiving the visa.
• Phase 6: The candidate will attend a pre-departure briefing at the British embassy/high commission.
• Phase 7: The candidate will arrive in the UK to begin the fellowship.

More Details

For more information about the program, interested individuals can visit the official page of Chevening’s South Asia Journalism Fellowship.