British High Commissioner awards fellowships to outstanding Pakistani Journalists
The 2016 SAJP Fellowship is a tailor-made journalism skills development course developed by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office for high calibre journalists.
The High Commissioner, Mr. Philip Barton CMG OBE, today hosted a ceremony to award fellowships to seven exceptionally talented journalists from Pakistani media. The High Commissioner presented the fellowship awards under the South Asia Journalism Programme to the selected journalists.
The 2016 SAJP Fellowship is a tailor-made journalism skills development course developed by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office for high calibre journalists. The programme will enable journalists to explore different ways in which the media can play a role in democratic processes. It also focuses on the ways in which the media are accountable, and the wider context within which political institutions operate.
The British High Commissioner also welcomed back the 18 Pakistani Scholars from the 2014/15 Chevening Scholarship programme, who have returned from the UK this year after completing their fully-funded one-year master-level studies.
Congratulating the selected Chevening Fellows of the SAJP Programme and welcoming the Chevening Scholars of 2014/15, the British High Commissioner said:
I am pleased to see today the selected fellows of Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme and the returning scholars from the Chevening one year masters programme.
I congratulate the SAJP Fellows on making it through the tough selection process. They should be proud of being selected for the Chevening Fellowship. The South Asia Journalism Programme is unique for this region and the fellowship is a great professional development opportunity to identify and support the next generation of media leaders from the South Asia region.
I also welcome our Chevening class of 2014/15 who have returned to Pakistan with new knowledge, improved confidence and new skills after the successful completion of their courses in the UK. The Chevening Scholarship brings immediate benefits for individual scholars and long-term benefits for the UK and Pakistan by creating a wealth of shared knowledge and skills.
Very few get the opportunity to study in the UK at this level. I hope that those who do develop an appreciation of UK policies and approaches and bear these in mind when contributing to developments in their country.
Contact:
Press Attaché, British High Commission, Islamabad; tel. 051 201 2000
Editor’s Notes:
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Pakistan remains one of the top priority countries for Chevening awards. This year Chevening received record number of applications from across the globe and more eligible application from Pakistan as compared to the last year. This shows the importance the UK puts in its relationship with Pakistan.”
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The South Asia Journalism Programme Fellows will attend course in London at the University of Westminster’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communications. They will participate in seven weeks of lectures, visits, and discussions that introduce them to key UK academics, media, and political figures in the field. They will also spend time meeting their peers in some of the UK’s top media organisations, as well as running a symposium on a topic of their choice in the final week.
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Following is the list of this year’s selected Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme Fellows is:
| Sr# | Name | Employer |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Tariq Mahmood | 92 News Channel |
| 2. | Rasheed Khan Safi | Daily Mashriq Peshawar/Radio Buraq |
| 3. | Fakhar Durrani | The News International |
| 4. | Naureen Shams | FM 107 |
| 5. | Alefia Hussain | The News on Sunday - Jang Group of Publications |
| 6. | Nazish Zafar | Geo News |
| 7. | Abdul Waseem Abbasi | The News International |
- The creation of the alumni-led Chevening Alumni Association of Pakistan offers a platform for participants – whatever field they have chosen to pursue – to share their ideas on how to strengthen Pakistan and to work together for the betterment of the country.