The Commonwealth Scholarship is one of the most prestigious international scholarships funded by the United Kingdom government. This scholarship covers all study, living, and travel expenses for eligible students to study at reputed UK universities.
This author approached two of the Bangladeshi Commonwealth scholars who are at different phases of the scholarships—Tasnia Khandaker, who completed her master's in International Development Practice from the University of St Andrews in 2020, and Afrida Asad, who recently started studying for her MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology at the University of Oxford. The author tried to learn about their Commonwealth scholarship journeys and advice for aspiring students.
Making yourself eligible for the application
What was their experience before applying for the Commonwealth scholarships? Tasnia described, "Prior to applying, I worked for almost two years at Obhoyaronno-Bangladesh Animal Welfare Foundation, a grassroots animal rights-centric NGO in Bangladesh. The work experience moulded my understanding of development, project implementation, and program management."
"It further shaped how I envisioned my future and the attached goals, which led to the specific degree I chose for my MSc in International Development Practice. The practical tools I learned to use during my work refined my application and supplemented my skill set, which may have aided my application."
Afrida also shared her diverse experience, "My undergraduate was in geography and environment at the University of Dhaka. As this subject is multidisciplinary and has a relatively wider scope, I did my background study on all sorts of European scholarship programs in my final year. Still, I wanted to explore professional life first."
Afrida worked at UNDP in 2020 after graduation but couldn't quite fit in. Her volunteer experience working for GroupMappers since 2018 allowed her to work with academia from Harvard and Oxford and exposure to learn about international project implementation processes, work ethics, and standards."
"That inspired us to create a platform for young students to have a safe work environment where they can practice futuristic tech-solutions-based work. So I, along with four other partners, started a consultancy firm, GMGI Solutions Ltd., while doing my master's in Geography," she said.
Her master's results were published in late 2021, and she stood first. This made her more confident in targeting top-ranked universities with all the academic and professional packages. She knew that in commonwealth scholarship, academic excellence is highly appreciated. She had her IELTS score and work experience as a bonus.
Interview
Interview is one of the crucial processes in Commonwealth scholarships. So how did Afrida ace it?
"Candidates are mostly asked about the subject they would like to study in the UK. My theme was - 'Strengthening health systems and capacity,' which was inspired by my work at GroupMappers and as a data consultant at Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit."
After the interview, the shortlisted candidates directly apply by writing several essays about their leadership abilities, personal statements, short and long-term career plans, motivation and reason for applying for the scholarship, and how they would benefit their country.
Candidates could give three choices of universities and subjects. Afrida selected Oxford, UCL, and then LSE; all three were health and epidemiology-based courses.
"In December, I was shortlisted for an interview at Oxford, which made me even more hopeful. Then on January 29, I finally got the offer letter from my forever dream institution, the University of Oxford, to do an MSc in Global Health Science and Epidemiology," she added.
Looking at the goals clearly
One of the goals of the scholarship is to empower students to return to their home country after the award and contribute to national development. As Tasnia completed her master's a while ago, She talked about how she is working on that.
"I rejoined Obhoyaronno after my return and currently work as a researcher for the Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ) at BRAC University. The scholarship allowed me to study at one of the most reputed institutions in the world, the University of St Andrews. It taught me theories and best practices concerning the development sector, most of which I apply to my work regularly."
"My current work primarily revolves around migration and conflict, and the teachings throughout my MSc have enabled me to perform well and work with vulnerable groups," Tasnia remarked.
Planning ahead is necessary
Though Afrida started her MSc journey recently, she has plans for the future, "After completing my master's, I want to do research in the health sectors of Bangladesh, create employment as an entrepreneur, and motivate the young to dream big and aim higher. We must ensure a safe work platform where thousands will work according to their passion."
"I chose this MSc as the modules are designed with a high concentration in statistical analysis of health-based data. My skills will benefit future health sector work in my country and both GroupMappers and GMGI Solutions Ltd.," Afrida concluded on a positive note.
On the other hand, Tasnia advises the aspirants to be careful and confident in the application process.
"The essays and the personal statement reflect the candidate's interests and commitment. The application needs to be honest, succinct, and well-articulated to have a better chance of being selected. I would advise applicants to select programs aligned with their academic and professional requirements. Reach out to the universities if needed, clarify any questions they might have, and then draft the essay questions and personal statement with a clear mind."
"Lastly," she continued, "Be honest and brave and stop self-doubting. Have your friends and willing teachers read through your application and provide feedback. Make sure to showcase extracurriculars that you're proud of and focus on answering why you want to do your chosen degree and how you expect to use it after completion."
Afrida's advice is to be active from the start, "Be proactive from the undergraduate years, make networks, keep doing volunteer work, and start developing tech skills from the beginning. Also, in motivational and reference letters, keep your experience and purpose pointed in one direction and show enough justification of why this course is your requirement aligned with future goals. Then, any scholarship will be attainable."
