First cohort of women scholars from Sub-Saharan Africa arrive in Edinburgh
A Scottish university has welcomed its first cohort of students onto an innovative new scholarship aimed at delivering empowering education for women in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Launched in January this year, five female students from Sub-Saharan Africa are now the first to begin their postgraduate studies through a pioneering new scholarship at Heriot-Watt University.
The programme will run for five cohorts over the next five years, supported by €1.5 million of funding gifted to Heriot-Watt by The Orchard Foundation to fund 30 scholarships.
The scholars were welcomed to Heriot-Watt’s Lyell Centre in Edinburgh by academics and Dr Annemiek Hoogenboom, co-founder and Chair of The Orchard Foundation (Stichting De Boomgaard), which made the programme possible.
When this programme in January, the university set out to open access to world-class postgraduate education for talented women from Sub-Saharan Africa. It is amazing to see that ambition come to life now, with our first scholars here in Edinburgh. Opening doors is what Heriot-Watt has been about since we were founded as the world’s first mechanics institute in 1821, and this programme is very much part of that history. I wish every one of these women the very best as they begin their studies and I’m sure under the tutelage of our talented team here, they will gain the necessary skills to go on and impact the world.
Professor Nola Hewitt-Dundas
Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University
The Hoogenboom Scholarship Programme provides fully funded places for women whose education will deliver lasting impact in their communities and sectors.
Scholars can pursue Master’s degrees including the MSc Global Environmental Change and Policy, the MSc International Marine Science and the MSc Sustainable Energy.
It has been a great pleasure to support the Hoogenboom Scholarship Programme, and meeting the first scholars in person has made that even more special. These are talented, determined young women, and it was wonderful to hear about the ambitions they have brought with them to Edinburgh. I cannot wait to see what they go on to achieve, both during their studies and when they return to make a difference in their communities and across Africa.
Dr Annemiek Hoogenboom
co-founder and Chair of The Orchard Foundation
The programme prioritises women who are nationals of Kenya, Zambia, South Africa, Botswana and Malawi, with a strong alignment with Scotland’s international development focus on Zambia and Malawi.
The programme will be delivered at the Lyell Centre, one of Europe’s leading hubs for Earth and marine science and technology, bringing together world-leading academics to tackle challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and marine conservation.
Our focus now is on making sure every scholar gets the most out of their time with us, from our specialist facilities through to mentoring, industry placements and leadership development. We want to equip these women with the skills and confidence to tackle pressing environmental challenges and make a real impact on the world and in their own communities. Every one of them has arrived with a clear sense of purpose, and our job is to help them turn that into lasting change.
Inna Yaneva-Toraman
Assistant Professor in Environment & Society at the Lyell Centre
The scholarship also covers living costs, including accommodation, visas and health insurance, so scholars can focus fully on their studies.
Welcoming our first cohort is the moment everything we have planned becomes real, and the students have already brought tremendous energy to the Lyell Centre. Over the coming year we will support them to turn their ambitions into expertise they can take back to their countries and sectors. This first cohort will shape the programme for everyone who follows, and we hope it becomes a blueprint for how scholarships like this can widen access to postgraduate education in future.
Ingrid Kelling
Associate Professor in Blue Food Systems Regeneration and Programme Director of the Hoogenboom Scholarship Programme