Three Filipina recipients have been announced for the Women in STEM scholarships, awarded under two programmes: the ASEAN-UK SAGE (Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education) Programme and the British Council Women in STEM Scholarships. Both scholarship schemes aim to address gender disparities in access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.
The ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships were open to women from all ASEAN Member States (AMS); Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam, as well as Timor-Leste. Meanwhile, the British Council Women in STEM scholarships were open to women from South Asia, East Asia, wider Europe and the Americas.
After a highly competitive selection process that saw hundreds of students apply, three students from the Philippines secured scholarships from the 24 awarded across ASEAN and Timor-Leste through both the ASEAN-UK SAGE and British Council Women in STEM scholarship programmes. These talented individuals share a passion and vision to make a difference through STEM, a field where women are traditionally underrepresented. Women account for only 29.2% of the STEM workforce globally despite representing almost half of the non-STEM employment sector (World Economic Forum).
Filipina Women in STEM Scholarship Recipients (2024)
ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships:
• Onglao, Maria Andrea Kristina – MSc Environmental Data Science and Machine Learning, Imperial College London
British Council Women in STEM Scholarships:
• Mikaela Gail Santos – MSc Biotechnology (Healthcare Biotechnologies), University of Bath
• Laravill Lanohan – MSc Biotechnology (Sustainable Biotechnologies), University of Bath
The ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme is the UK’s flagship education programme in ASEAN, aiming to improve foundational learning outcomes in basic literacy and numeracy, support girls and marginalised groups to access education, and to break down gender barriers to digital skills and employment, thus empowering young women to flourish to their full potential. The ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships programme is available for the first time to eligible women in ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste and this year, a total of 12 outstanding students were offered the Women in STEM scholarships.
Ambassador of the UK to ASEAN, H. E. Sarah Tiffin said:
‘As an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, the UK is committed to advancing girls’ education across ASEAN region through the SAGE programme, ensuring equitable access to quality education for all girls. We are excited to offer this great opportunity to our new scholars. Their talent and dedication are inspirational, and we look forward to seeing how they will shape the future of STEM in ASEAN after studying at the UK’s world-class universities.’
The ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships contribute to furthering the goals set out in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint 2025, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (4, 10 and 17), and ASEAN-UK Plan of Action 2022–2026 particularly in strengthening engagement between UK and ASEAN education institutions, staff, and students through scholarship initiatives. The scholarships have been developed by the British Council and are funded by the UK Government through the ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme.
In its fourth year, the British Council Women in STEM Scholarships programme offers over 100 scholarships worldwide, with 12 scholars from ASEAN countries receiving scholarships this year. This prestigious scholarship enables successful recipients to obtain a master’s degree or an Early Academic Fellowship from a UK university, providing them with the opportunity to further develop their careers in STEM fields.
Lotus Postrado, Director Philippines, British Council said:
‘Congratulation to all the scholars. I believe that they will go on to have successful careers in STEM, and to become inspirational role models to other women, as advocates and leaders in their field. Addressing the under-representation of women in STEM leadership, and among the reasons for this underrepresentation are societal attitudes and perceptions about the role of women and girls in STEM. Together with British Council Women in STEM Scholarships, we are proud to be a lead implementation partner of the ASEAN-UK SAGE programme. Building on the previous years’ Women in STEM scholarships, the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships aim to challenge these norms, empower women, create role models, and reinforce a positive attitude towards STEM education among women and girls.’
For both the ASEAN-UK SAGE and the British Council Women in STEM programmes, each recipient will receive a fully funded opportunity to complete a master’s degree at prestigious universities in the UK. They will begin their studies in the UK from September 2024. The ASEAN-UK SAGE and the British Council Women in STEM scholarship programme will reopen in January 2025.
