The Commonwealth Secretary-General has launched a new scholarship at the King Henry VIII College in Selangor, Malaysia.
One of the first recipients was 16-year-old Scot Choo, the son of a pilot who died when Malaysian plane MH17 was shot down over Ukraine in 2014. Secretary-General Patricia Scotland officially presented Scot with his award.
She said she was proud to see that the scholarship is open to all Commonwealth students, in line with Commonwealth values supporting mobility between member states.
The Secretary-General told the audience the first Commonwealth Conference of Education Ministers in Oxford in 1959 outlined many reasons for supporting student mobility:
- enabling students to study subjects not available in their own countries
- extending the choice of subjects for students from small countries
- strengthening comparative and international studies
- broadening the outlook of home students
She said: “While we face significant challenges in achieving accessible and quality education for all, these are made less daunting through multilateral cooperation and mutual support.
“I commend King Henry VIII College for providing these Commonwealth Sixth Form Scholarships and opening up new horizons of opportunity for students.”
The first recipient of the scholarship, Scot Choo, wants to be a pilot just like his father.
He could not be happier, saying: “This scholarship means a lot to me. A scholarship like this gives me a massive opportunity to strive for success.
“I believe there are many other kids out there that will strive for the same scholarship, to unlock their potential and show their worth to the world.”
The scholarship:
- has 10 more places available for the new school year starting in September 2020
- is open to students from across the Commonwealth
- covers the school fees, accommodation, school trips, and flights to and from Malaysia over the 2 years of study
- is for almost 300,000 Ringgit (£56,000) per student
