After sifting through 70,000 applications, 14 Jamaicans were deemed worthy of being awarded Chevening Scholarships for 2023 to pursue post-graduate studies in the United Kingdom.

Amid an atmosphere charged with enthusiasm and celebration, diplomats, dignitaries, and scholars, among others gathered at the British High Commission in Kingston to mark the 40th anniversary of the Chevening Scholarships.

Speaking at the event, British High Commissioner to Jamaica Judith Slater said: “These scholars embody the extraordinary talent that resides within Jamaica and indeed since the beginning of Chevening, many thousands of Jamaicans study in the UK and over 300 are now Chevening Scholars alumni, forming a really influential and successful group.”

“Through this initiative, these future leaders, influencers, and decision-makers will have the opportunity to forge lasting connections with the UK, to their academic institutions, to the towns and cities they will study, and to the people,” she continued.

The event, a testament to the enduring success and impact of the programme, was attended by a diverse array of individuals, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Jamaica Kamina Johnson Smith.

Speaking at the event, Johnson Smith congratulated the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) and its partners on the remarkable four-decade journey of the Chevening Scholarships.

She said: “40 years is a fantastic accomplishment. In that context, I do wish to congratulate the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office and your partners on the longevity and impact of this outstanding programme that has benefited approximately 50,000 young people [globally] since it started in 1983.”

Speaking to the scholarship awardees, Johnson-Smith added: “During this rigorous process, you have demonstrated all the best aspects of being Jamaican; in order to distinguish yourself among the 70,000 applicants in this year’s cohort.”

Your tenacity, your ambition, your leadership potential, your excellence in academic performance, and your excellence in professional track records as well for those who have also been pursuing public and private-sector careers have clearly impressed at home and abroad,” she said.