Talented African lawyers encouraged to apply for Chevening Scholarships for 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 become part of a nearly 60,000-strong alumni of change-makers that extends all across the world. 

“Chevening was a defining moment in my personal and professional journey… it not only gave me a world-class education but also connected me to a global network of changemakers,” says Elizabeth Pam, who won a Chevening Scholarship in 2016. 

Wanting to help strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions from the inside out, Pam studied for a master’s in crime science, investigation, and intelligence at the University of Portsmouth. Now, Pam works at the intersection of politics and governance in roles such as Executive Director for Strategic Investments and Global Partnerships at the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, helping align Nigeria’s investment potential with global capital, and build strategic alliances translating growth priorities into real, fundable outcomes.

South African Yana McLaren, who recently studied for an LLM at Queen’s University, said she felt very fortunate to be part of the Chevening 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, who coming from a country in transition in South Africa, was intrigued to see how that played out in Northern Ireland, which was also a country in transition. 

McLaren said completing an LLM at Queen’s in Belfast sharpened her abilities as a lawyer, and 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. 

Each year, more than 1,500 Chevening Scholarships are awarded, including many talented young Africans. The 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 around two 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 7 October 2025. Visit the official website for more details.