Chevening-CIMB ASEAN Scholarships Established

23 February 2016

Signing of Memorandum of Understanding demonstrates CIMB’s commitment to empower ASEAN communities as scholarships will pave way for graduates from the region to pursue a Master’s programme in the UK

Putrajaya: Furthering its support of sustainable projects in various fields like community development or education, CIMB Group today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), United Kingdom, establishing the first-ever Chevening-CIMB ASEAN Scholarships. Recipients of the Chevening-CIMB ASEAN Scholarships will pursue a one-year Master’s degree programme at prestigious university partners of Chevening in the UK.

Through this partnership, CIMB Group will sponsor five students selected from the ASEAN region. The scholarships will go toward the costs of the one-year programme in a range of academic disciplines including business, communications, financial regulation, Islamic finance,  sustainable development, cyber security as well as trade and investment.

The signing of the MOU was in conjunction with the Malaysian launch of Education is GREAT, an educational campaign in which Malaysia and the UK have renewed their commitment to build and strengthen partnerships and engagement in education, as part of the larger commitment to promote trade and investment. Group Chief People Officer Hamidah Naziadin signed the MOU on behalf of CIMB Group while British High Commissioner to Malaysia, H.E. Vicki Treadell CMG MVO put pen to paper on behalf of the FCO. The signing ceremony was witnessed by CIMB Group Chairman, Dato’ Sri Nazir Razak, and  Deputy British High Commissioner to Malaysia, Paul Rennie.   

Dato’ Sri Nazir Razak said, “CIMB Group is honoured to be the Chevening Awards Scheme partner to offer an ASEAN-wide scholarship programme. This programme is a demonstration of our long-term commitment towards corporate responsibility. We want to contribute to nurturing leaders of tomorrow for ASEAN. Under this MOU, we have committed to sponsoring up to five students per year for the next three years, but if there is good demand, this can be increased. Our initial target is to have two students from Malaysia, and one each from Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia, to study one-year post-graduate courses in various fields, including business, Islamic finance and communications.”

H.E. Vicki Treadell said, “On behalf of the UK Government and our Chevening Scholarships programme, I am very pleased to welcome the CIMB Group to our esteemed group of partners. This new partnership with the CIMB Group will help strengthen the reach of Chevening  Scholarships  to not just one, but four countries at once, through the bank’s wide network across ASEAN. This is yet another page in the continuing story of the strong ties that the UK enjoys with Malaysia, as well as its dynamic neighbours – Indonesia, Thailand and Cambodia. What we will see is, at the end of their Master’s programme, the Chevening-CIMB ASEAN scholars will return to their countries and build upon the kinship borne from their time in the UK towards mutual benefit, development and growth in commerce, international relations and much more.”

This new scholarship fund has been created in the spirit of the Chevening Scholarships, under the Chevening Awards Scheme, the UK government’s international scheme targeted at the global leadership development for outstanding emerging leaders since 1983, with funding from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations. The scholarship programme provides a unique opportunity for future leaders, influencers, and decision-makers from all over the world to develop professionally and academically, network extensively, experience UK culture, and build lasting positive relationships with the UK.