Talented African lawyers encouraged to apply for Chevening Scholarships for 2027-2027 postgraduate studies in UK

The application period is now open for the next round of the prestigious Chevening Scholarships, which since 1983 have opened doors for talented early career individuals from across the world, including many African nations, to study for LLMs and other one-year postgraduate programmes at top universities in the UK.

Talented young Africans from law and other fields are encouraged to apply for this new round of Chevening Scholarships, the UK government’s global programme to support individuals “with demonstrable potential to become future leaders, decision-makers and opinion formers”. Scholarship winners will complete postgraduate studies in the 2027/2028 academic year and become part of a nearly 60,000-strong alumni of change-makers that extends all across the world. 

Recently, around 1,500 scholarships have been awarded annually - including to many African lawyers - from over 100,000 applications across more than 150 countries. 

The 2025/2026 cohort includes Kenyan lawyer Collins Ogutu, who has been studying an LLM in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice at the University of Sussex. Upon being selected last year, Ogutu said receiving a Chevening Scholarship was “a clarion call to build strong networks and cultivate the skills needed to drive transformative and lasting impact” and that “it is not just an award, but a catalyst that transforms emerging leadership into global impact”. Ogutu, who worked for Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions before commencing his LLM studies, said being chosen for Chevening reinforced his dedication to advancing social justice, addressing systemic challenges faced by the vulnerable and prosecuting sexual and gender-based violence in Kenya's criminal justice system. 

Lilian Mutisya, who previously worked at TripleOKLaw and has been completing a LLM in Law, Innovation and Technology at the University of Bristol, recently reflected on her Chevening year following a farewell for the 2025/2026 cohort in London.

“I am grateful for what has been a defining year in my life, and for the opportunities this experience will continue to open in my career and personal life,” shared Mutisya. “The months have flown by, but I remain thankful for the networks I have built within and beyond the Chevening community, for the opportunity to experience the UK, and perhaps more importantly, for how much I have come to know myself better.”

South African Yana McLaren, who studied for an LLM at Queen’s University in a prior Chevening year, said she felt very fortunate to be part of the scholarship programme. 

“It brings together thousands of young people and students from around the world to study at UK universities, and to learn and engage and meet each other, build a wonderful network, and go back to their own countries and really invest that wonderful experience they’ve had in the United Kingdom,” said McLaren.

The opportunity as a Chevening Scholar to step back from the practising world and “to think deeply about the concepts and the interaction that takes place between the thinking and writing of law, and the practice of law” was invaluable," she added. 

Chevening Scholarships include tuition fees, a maintenance allowance, some additional costs, and return airfares to the scholar’s home country.

While there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ Chevening Scholar, successful applicants tend to have ambition, leadership qualities, and a passion for influencing positive change in their home countries. Applicants must have two or more years of work experience following their undergraduate degree, and commit to returning to their home country for at least two years after their scholarship at a UK university ends. 

Young professionals with “the passion and influence to solve pressing local, national, or global challenges” are strongly encouraged to apply. The current application period closes on 6 October 2026. Visit the official website for more details.