Renewed support for scholarship developing future African leaders

Nairobi, Kenya

A scholarship programme at Imperial is supporting future “changemakers” from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia.

This transformative scholarship supports students who might not have the financial resources to otherwise access an Imperial education. Professor Alice Gast President, Imperial College London

The Beacon Scholarship, established and part-funded by The Beacon Equity Trust, supports especially gifted students in financial need and has been designed to help nurture their leadership potential.

Imperial has renewed its partnership with The Beacon Equity Trust for a further three years.

Imperial is one of six UK universities to partner with The Beacon Equity Trust, which aims to help talented young people from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and Zambia access world-class education with a view to driving positive social change in their countries and beyond.

The scholarship covers the cost of tuition, living costs and travel. Scholars are also supported with a programme of leadership training and mentoring, provided by The Beacon Equity Trust.

Transformative

Professor Alice Gast, President of Imperial College London, said: “Our talented Beacon scholars will have a positive impact on the future of their countries and the wider world. This transformative scholarship supports students who might not have the financial resources to otherwise access an Imperial education. We are very proud of our partnership with The Beacon Equity Trust to support the changemakers of tomorrow, and we look forward to welcoming more exceptional Beacon scholars to the College

Medical student Santayian Kantai, from Kenya, is a recipient of The Beacon Scholarship at Imperial. Speaking of the scholarship, she said: “I believe that everyone has leadership capabilities, for me personally I have found that this scholarship has helped me be more aware of my capabilities and to put them into practice. In doing so I now have the confidence to take initiative and to take up leadership positions that I once may have shied away from.”

Fellow Beacon Trust Scholar, Biomedical Engineering student Chelimo Koitaba, said: “As a highly ranked, competitive university, I chose Imperial as I saw that being in such an environment and being surrounded by highly gifted academics will stretch my mind, build my character, and enhance my resilience.”

“Not only has The Beacon Scholarship provided me with the tremendous opportunity to study at this prestigious university, but it has also challenged me to strive for the best in all I do, always have an end goal in mind and make the most of every opportunity I have. By setting all rounded targets for the academic year, this has allowed me to build my character in all aspects.”