The talented individuals selected shared their passion and vision for making a difference through STEM, an area where women are often underrepresented. (Source: British Council)

Both scholarship programs aim to close the gender gap in access to education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The ASEAN-UK SAGE STEM Scholarships are open to women from all ASEAN Member States (AMS) including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, and Timor-Leste.

Meanwhile, the British Council Women in STEM Scholarship is open to women from South Asia, East Asia, Greater Europe and the Americas.

After a competitive selection process with hundreds of applications, five Vietnamese students have been selected to receive five out of 24 scholarships from both the British Council’s ASEAN-UK SAGE and Women in STEM programmes.

For both the ASEAN-UK SAGE programme and the British Council Women in STEM programme, each scholar will receive a full scholarship to complete a master’s degree at a prestigious university in the UK, with the programme commencing in September 2024.

The ASEAN-UK SAGE STEM Scholarship for Women includes 2 individuals: Lam Ngoc Ngan - Master of Interdisciplinary Biology Research, University of Warwick; Nguyen Ha Phuong Thao - Master of Engineering Business Management, University of Warwick.

The British Council STEM Scholarship for Women includes 3 individuals: Nguyen Vu Tuong Linh - Master of Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Bristol; Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy - Master of Environmental Policy and Management, University of Bristol; Truong Ngoc Mai - Master of Science Communication for a Better Planet, University of Bristol.

These talented individuals share their passion and vision for making a difference through STEM, a field where women are often underrepresented. Women make up just 29.2% of the global STEM workforce, despite making up nearly half of non-STEM jobs, according to the World Economic Forum.

UK Ambassador to ASEAN, Ms Sarah Tiffin, said: “As an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, the UK is committed to supporting girls’ education in the ASEAN region through the SAGE programme, ensuring access to quality education for all girls. We are excited to provide this fantastic opportunity to the newly selected outstanding female scholars. Their talent and dedication are inspirational, and we look forward to seeing how they transform and shape their future in STEM in ASEAN after studying at world-class UK universities.”

The ASEAN-UK SAGE Scholarships continue to contribute to the implementation of the goals set out in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Action Plan 2025, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (goals 4, 10 and 17), and the ASEAN-UK Action Plan 2022–2026, particularly in strengthening the engagement between UK and ASEAN educational institutions, staff and students through scholarship initiatives.

These scholarships are developed by the British Council and funded by the UK Government through the ASEAN-UK SAGE programme.

Now in its fourth year, the British Council Women in STEM Scholarship programme has awarded over 100 full scholarships worldwide, with this year’s award going to 12 scholars from ASEAN countries. The prestigious scholarship will cover the full cost of studying a master’s or post-doctoral programme at a UK university, providing the opportunity to develop a career in STEM.

The ASEAN-UK SAGE programme and the British Council Women in STEM programme will resume accepting applications in January 2025.