Malaysia’s First ASEAN Chevening Scholar Heads to UK

Thirty-five Malaysians have been awarded prestigious Chevening Scholarships by the United Kingdom for the 2025/26 academic year, including the country’s first recipient of the Chevening ASEAN Scholarship. The awards, funded by the UK government, will allow the scholars to pursue advanced studies across leading universities in Britain.

Among the awardees, Davina Devarajan has made history as the first Malaysian to secure the ASEAN Chevening Scholarship. She will study Environment and Sustainable Development at University College London, representing both Malaysia and the wider Southeast Asian region. Davina has expressed her commitment to advancing regional collaboration on climate justice and human rights, with particular attention to marginalised groups. She also intends to focus her studies on the National Energy Transition Roadmap and policies related to business and human rights.

Other scholars will pursue a wide range of disciplines, showcasing the diversity of talent among the award recipients. Alexander Jong Jiun Wei has been accepted into Imperial College London to study Advanced Mechanical Engineering, where he plans to explore sustainable manufacturing and make use of cutting-edge UK research facilities. Meanwhile, Faizin Nasrin Md Rejab will undertake a Master of Laws in International Economic Law at the University of Edinburgh. Her work will focus on the intersection of trade, development, and human rights, with the aim of strengthening Malaysia’s capacity in global economic governance.

The Chevening programme also includes a fellowship component. This year, a Malaysian fellow will study at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, adding further academic depth to the UK–Malaysia education link.

British High Commissioner Ailsa Terry praised the achievements of this year’s recipients at a pre-departure event in Kuala Lumpur, describing the group as “a remarkable group of future leaders.” She noted that Malaysia is the second-largest recipient of Chevening awards in the ASEAN region, with more than 2,000 alumni since the programme’s inception. Many of these alumni have gone on to leadership roles in government, business, academia, and civil society.

Applications for the 2026/27 academic year are already open, with the deadline set for 7 October 2025. Successful candidates will join a global network of more than 55,000 Chevening alumni who have benefitted from the scholarship since it was established in 1983.

For Malaysia, this year’s awards highlight the growing role of young professionals in tackling critical global issues, from sustainable development to human rights and international law. The UK government has reiterated that the programme not only strengthens individual careers but also fosters deeper bilateral and regional partnerships through education and shared expertise.