• Supporting the wider community,
• Our Scholars and Fellows,
• Country profile – Trinidad and Tobago,
• News round-up,
• Our alumni,
• Tertiary education in the Commonwealth,
• Networks and events

Analysis of the full economic costs and benefits of wide-ranging capacity building programmes such as international scholarships and fellowships will always be complex, and the report notes the limited availability of current research, as well as offering some suggestions for measuring the value for money of scholarships in the future.

• Full report

Commonwealth Scholarships News – Issue 15

• Commonwealth scholars: New directions, shared perspectives,
• Our Scholars and Fellows,
• Country profile – Papua New Guinea,
• News round-up,
• Our alumni,
• Commonwealth connections,
• Networks and events

A similar event was held at Cumberland Lodge in May 2007 which resulted in the first three phases of the CSC Evaluation Programme. As the CSC moves into a new stage of activity, the aim of the 2012 event was to strengthen its relationships with similar programmes and funding bodies, and also to generate mutually useful discussions on the best way to tackle impact evaluation in scholarship programmes.

The core objectives of the seminar were to:

• share knowledge and experience relating to existing impact evaluations of scholarship and fellowship programmes
• discuss issues arising from the challenges of evaluating scholarship programmes and similar capacity building programmes, and identify potential benchmark indicators for future comparisons
• learn more about the various evaluation methodologies that can be used by such programmes and identify those which are the most appropriate
• explore the possibility of establishing a forum of like-minded professionals that allows for future collaboration between different organisations, so that best practice and experiences can continue to be shared

Programme

Participant list

Many participants also attended a complementary event, Measuring Impact of Higher Education for Development – organised by the London International Development Centre (LIDC), in partnership with the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), and held on 19-20 March 2012 at Birkbeck College, University of London. The conference looked at the broader picture of higher education and development impact.

For further information, please contact evaluation@cscuk.org.uk

This report examines the impact that Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships can have on individuals and on higher education institutions, and the impact that these individuals and institutions can then have on economic and social development. It reports on the targeted awards offered to academic staff and students, before moving on to assess the impact of alumni working in higher education who responded to a 2008 impact evaluation survey. Finally, the report narrows its focus to take a closer look at Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships in the context of three specific HEIs: Makerere University in Uganda, the University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, and the University of the West Indies in the Caribbean.

• Executive summary
• Full report
• Appendices 2-4

The report, launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth, Australia, shows that Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows are involved in activity leading to democratic governance, equality, and stability at grassroots, national, and international levels.

The study, based on survey returns from over 2,000 former Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows, found that 47% reported an impact in at least one of four key areas relating to democracy: governance, international relations, social inequalities and human rights, and conflict resolution and humanitarian assistance.

Alumni have influence across more than one area, and are not limited by their field of study or employment – 61% of respondents reporting an impact on democratic principles work in education, and over 50% studied diverse subjects such as science, technology and engineering, health, and agriculture.

According to the author of the report, Sarah Hinz, Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships add value to democratic development activity throughout the Commonwealth. ‘Alumni have been able to gain skills and knowledge which they have taken back to their home countries and used to support activity in different areas relating to democracy, including constructive international relations, protection of human rights, and assistance in humanitarian crises.’

Professor Tim Unwin, Chair of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, said that the report ‘demonstrates the value of Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships, not only to individuals, but also to their wider communities and societies. Democracy lies at the heart of the Commonwealth, and it is encouraging to note that Commonwealth Scholarships – one of its most enduring programmes – is contributing to its key values’.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom (CSC) is responsible for managing Britain’s contribution to the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP), established in 1959, and supports around 700 awards annually.
2. UK Commonwealth Scholarships are funded by the Department for International Development (for developing Commonwealth countries), and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Scottish Government (for developed Commonwealth countries), in conjunction with UK universities.
3. The report Assessing impact in building and sustaining Commonwealth principles on democracy is available online. Hard copies are available on request, and the CSC is also able to provide specific case study material.
4. The evaluation survey was conducted in July 2008. 2,226 alumni responded; this sample was broadly representative of the whole alumni group. Respondents were asked to provide factual data (such as career history, public offices held, awards and honours received) plus their views on how their scholarship or fellowship had benefited them and their society. Specifically, respondents were asked about their involvement in 12 key development and leadership priority areas, and asked to give details of specific roles, projects, and activities. Selected alumni were interviewed for the report in 2010-2011.
5. The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is an international programme under which member governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries. The Plan was established at the first Commonwealth education conference in 1959 and is reviewed by education ministers at their triennial meetings.
6. For further information, please contact Natasha Lokhun, +44 (0)20 7380 6760

The report, which analyses survey responses from former Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows from 14 Commonwealth countries in the Asia-Pacific region, looks at how alumni are using their skills and expertise to have impact in their home countries in areas such as agriculture, innovation, and environmental protection.

Findings show that 99% of survey respondents from the Asia-Pacific region gained skills and expertise and 92% use these at work. 84% reported having an impact in their home country through specific projects, influencing government policy, or wider socioeconomic impact. Examples include working with government ministries to draw up inclusive education policy, implementing a new system of weather forecasting, and developing renewable energy using hydrogen and biofuel technologies.

The author of the report, Nyssa Lee-Woolf, says that its findings are positive for the region as a whole. ‘The Asia-Pacific region covers a huge geographical area – from Malaysia to Samoa – and a diverse range of countries at differing stages of development. Our study has shown that Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows are making a positive impact on issues such as climate change and economic growth, which affect the whole region and beyond.’

The report, launched at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Australia, was welcomed by Professor Tim Unwin, the Chair of the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission. ‘Commonwealth Scholarships have a wide and far-reaching impact, and it is positive to see that alumni from the Asia-Pacific region have not only returned to their home countries, but are also making valuable and groundbreaking contributions’, he said.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United Kingdom (CSC) is responsible for managing Britain’s contribution to the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP), established in 1959, and supports around 700 awards annually.
2. UK Commonwealth Scholarships are funded by the Department for International Development (for developing Commonwealth countries), and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Scottish Government (for developed Commonwealth countries), in conjunction with UK universities.
3. The report Assessing impact in the Asia-Pacific region is available online. Hard copies are available on request, and the CSC is also able to provide specific case study material.
4. The report is based upon responses to an evaluation survey from alumni from 14 Commonwealth countries in the Asia-Pacific region: Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, Kiribati, Malaysia, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
5. The evaluation survey was conducted in July 2008. 2,226 alumni responded; this sample was broadly representative of the whole alumni group. Respondents were asked to provide factual data (such as career history, public offices held, awards and honours received) plus their views on how their scholarship or fellowship had benefited them and their society. Specifically, respondents were asked about their involvement in 12 key development and leadership priority areas, and asked to give details of specific roles, projects and activities.
6. The Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) is an international programme under which member governments offer scholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries. The Plan was established at the first Commonwealth education conference in 1959 and is reviewed by education ministers at their triennial meetings.
7. For further information, please contact Natasha Lokhun, +44 (0)20 7380 6760

Published for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth, Australia, in October 2011.

• Executive summary
• Full report

Published for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth, Australia, in October 2011.

• Executive summary
• Full report
• Appendices 2-4

• Clearing the way for CHOGM,
• Our Scholars and Fellows,
• Country profile – Australia,
• News round-up,
• Our alumni,
• New Economics and Finance Network,
• Networks and events