United Kingdom offers scholarships for ASEAN women in STEM  

MANILA, Philippines — The United Kingdom government is offering 11 fully funded scholarship slots for women in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, who wish to pursue a one-year master's degree in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields.

Under the ASEAN-UK SAGE scholarship program by the U.K. government, women who want to pursue a master’s degree in STEM will receive support in tuition fees, stipends, travel costs, visas and health coverage fees.

The newly launched program will accept applicants from the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, as well as Timor-Leste.

Successful applicants will receive an opportunity to complete their master’s degree at the University of Warwick or Imperial College London.

“The United Kingdom is world-renowned for its excellence in STEM education: our universities offer cutting-edge facilities, innovative teaching methods, and a rich history of scientific discovery,” said Laure Beaufils, British ambassador to the Philippines.

“We invite Filipino women to seize this opportunity and play a leading role in driving forward innovation, shaping our shared future,” Beaufils added.

The British Council said that the women in STEM scholarships by the ASEAN-UK SAGE program aim to address the gender gap in tertiary STEM education, with global data showing only 19% of women complete STEM degrees compared to 40% of men.

“We hope that this program opens more doors that would lead to meaningful impact, empowering women and advancing diversity and excellence,” said Lotus Postrado, Philippine director at the British Council.

A 2023 study by LinkedIn published in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2023 found that the Philippines has the widest STEM gender gap in the Asia Pacific region at 22% in terms of employment.

The study also found that Filipino women in STEM are graduating but not staying in the workforce based on the 14% drop in the retention of women in STEM after graduation in 2021.  

Applications for the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships are open until mid-April 2024.