Pakistani students hoping to study in Britain have a new route. The UK government's international scholarship programme, Chevening, and Allied Bank Limited (ABL) have announced a partnership offering fully funded master's scholarships at leading British universities.
According to a British High Commission statement, the Chevening-ABL Scholarship will fund two Pakistani scholars each year for three academic years, starting in 2027-28. Selected students will study subjects including artificial intelligence, technology, cybersecurity, digital transformation, economics and financial inclusion.
The first two scholars will be chosen from the existing applicant pool for the 2027-28 academic year. Applications for 2028-29 are expected to open in August 2027 as part of the regular Chevening cycle, with successful candidates starting their studies in the UK in 2028. Since 1983, Chevening has funded one-year master's degrees covering tuition, living costs and travel.
British High Commissioner Jane Marriott said "Pakistan's greatest strength is its people" and hoped the partnership would help impressive future leaders study at world-leading UK universities and bring fresh ideas home. It was "especially fitting", she said, that a former Chevening scholar was now opening the same door for the next generation.
She was referring to ABL President and CEO Aizid Gill, who studied MSc Business Economics at the University of Manchester as a Chevening scholar in 2001 and is one of nearly 2,000 Pakistani Chevening alumni. Gill said the scholarship was about giving talented Pakistanis the chance to learn, grow and bring that exposure back home. Close to 60,000 people from more than 160 countries have studied in the UK through Chevening.