THREE Filipino women received scholarships for 2024 to study at top universities in the United Kingdom under two scholarship schemes "aimed at addressing gender disparities in access to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)," the British Council (BC) announced. The British Council, in a media release, said Maria Andrea Kristina Onglao, a Master of Science (MSc) in Environmental Data Science and Machine Learning, will study at Imperial College London under the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls' Education (Asean-UK Sage) Women in STEM Scholarships. Meanwhile, Mikaela Gail Santos, who has an MSc in health care biotechnologies, and Laravill Lanohan, with an MSc in sustainable biotechnologies, will study at the University of Bath under the British Council Women in STEM Scholarships. BC said the Asean-UK Sage Women in STEM Scholarships program was open to women from all Asean member-states: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, as well as to Timor-Leste for the first time. The Asean-UK Sage program is the UK's flagship education program in Asean "to improve foundational learning outcomes in basic literacy and numeracy, support girls and marginalized groups to access education and 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 this year was offered to 12 outstanding students. On the other hand, the British Council Women in STEM Scholarships was open to women from South Asia, East Asia, wider Europe and the Americas. In its fourth year, the British Council Women in STEM Scholarships program offers over 100 scholarships worldwide, with 12 scholars from Asean countries receiving scholarships this year. This scholarship enables successful recipients to obtain a master's degree or an Early Academic Fellowship from a UK university, allowing them to develop their careers in STEM fields further. The three students from the Philippines are among the 24 awarded across Asean and Timor-Leste after a highly competitive selection process that saw applications from hundreds of students, BC said. "These talented individuals share a passion and vision to make a difference through STEM, a field where women are traditionally underrepresented," it said, citing the World Economic Forum, which recorded that women account for only 29.2 percent of the STEM workforce globally despite representing almost half of the non-STEM employment sector. Sarah Tiffin, UK Ambassador to Asean, said that as an Asean Dialogue Partner, the UK is committed to advancing girls' education across the Asean region through the Sage program "to ensure 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," Tiffin said. Lotus Postrado, BC-Philippines director, noted that the scholars will go on to have successful careers in STEM and become "inspirational role models to other women, as advocates and leaders in their field." She said among the reasons for the underrepresentation of women in STEM leadership were societal attitudes and negative 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 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 toward STEM education among women and girls," Postrado said. BC said each recipient would receive a fully funded opportunity to complete a master's degree at prestigious universities in the UK and would begin their studies in the UK in September 2024. The Asean-UK Sage and the British Council Women in STEM scholarship programs will reopen in January 2025.
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