The British Council is awarding 25 fully funded postgraduate scholarships for women in STEM for the 2026, 27 academic year as a major step in the right direction opening up the world of science and technology careers to women. These scholarships are one of the elements of the Going Global Partnerships programme that concentrates on enhancing female involvement and leadership in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
According to an official press release the programme aims at solving the gender gaps issue that has been a characteristic of STEM fields for a very long time, and at the same time, it will produce women leaders in research, innovation, and development, who will be capable of serving their countries effectively. Female candidates from South Asia, including India, can apply.
The scholarships for the next academic year will be given in cooperation with the top five UK universities University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, University of Manchester, Queen Mary University of London, and Brunel University London. The initiative looks for women who have a strong academic record and leadership potential and who are interested in one, year master's degree programmes in STEM disciplines.
Each scholarship covers a minimum of 40, 000 in value and offers comprehensive financial support. This is inclusive of full tuition fees, monthly living allowances, travel and visa expenses, health insurance fees, and English language support, if necessary. The fully funded setup guarantees that financially deserving students will not be hindered by lack of money. Through the British Council, there will be 90 Women in STEM scholarships disbursed in 30 countries with the engagement of 43 UK universities. The programme, which started less than 5 years ago, has to date supported about 500 women globally, including 22 scholars from India, thus facilitating them in obtaining world, class education and exposure to the international community. The programme goes beyond merely academic support. The focus of the initiative is also on developing the scholars' careers in the long run. The scholars will be granted admission to the UK alumni networks, which will help them to develop cross, border collaborations, acquire professional contacts, and be able to continue their research partnerships even after their studies.
Emphasising the importance of the programme, Rittika Chanda Parruck MBE, Director Education India, British Council, said that the programme fits very well with the India, UK Vision 2035, which identifies education, skills, research, and people, to, people ties as the main areas of development. She also said that educating women in STEM will be a great way to empower them, thus these innovation ecosystems will be strengthened and both countries will benefit from inclusive and sustainable growth that will be generated.
The scholarship is a clear indication of the willingness of the government to take a considerable step forward in the endeavour to make the global STEM education more reachable for women coming from India and the whole South Asian region.
