Three Filipinos were awarded scholarships by the ASEAN-UK SAGE (Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education) Program and the British Council Women in STEM Scholarships.

ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships has awarded Maria Andrea Kristina Onglao with an MSc Environmental Data Science and Machine Learning scholarship at Imperial College London.

British Council Women in STEM Scholarships has given Mikaela Gail Santos with an MSc Biotechnology (Healthcare Biotechnologies) scholarship at the University of Bath. Laravill Lanohan, meanwhile, will study MSc Biotechnology (Sustainable Biotechnologies) also at the University of Bath.

“As an ASEAN Dialogue Partner, the UK is committed to advancing girls’ education across the ASEAN region through the SAGE program, 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,” Ambassador of United Kingdom to ASEAN Sarah Tiffin said.

Each recipient will receive a fully funded opportunity to complete their master’s. They will begin their studies in the UK from September 2024.

ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships is UK’s flagship education program in ASEAN, aiming to improve foundational learning outcomes in basic literacy and numeracy. It aims to support girls and marginalized groups in accessing education and breaking down gender barriers to digital skills and employment. It is available for the first time this year to eligible women in ASEAN member states and Timor-Leste Furthermore, it contributes to highlighting 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.

Now on its fourth year, The British Council Women in STEM Scholarships program offers over 100 scholarships worldwide. Twelve scholars from ASEAN countries have received scholarships this year.

“Congratulations 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. With British Council Women in STEM Scholarships, we are proud to be a lead implementation partner of the ASEAN-UK SAGE program. 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,” Lotus Postrado, director for the Philippines of British Council, said.

The ASEAN-UK SAGE and the British Council Women in STEM Scholarships will reopen in January 2025.