Are you a woman with a bachelor’s degree in a STEM subject and passionate about your study? You could receive a scholarship to study for a master’s degree in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics programme at a leading UK university.
Applications for British Council Women in STEM Scholarships for the academic year 2024/25 are now closed. Information about next year’s scholarships will be available on this page in early 2025. If you have applied for a scholarship this year, please expect a decision by the end of June 2024. Please note that any communication around your selection for the scholarship will come from the UK higher education institution(s) for which you have applied. Please also reach out to the respective institution for any query related to admission or applications.
For the fourth year running the British Council is launching our global Women in STEM scholarship programme in partnership with UK universities. This is the second year that the scholarship has been launched for women from Kazakhstan.
We are looking for women with a STEM background who can demonstrate their need for financial support and who wish to inspire future generations of women to pursue careers in STEM.
The information on this page is for applicants from Kazakhstan. For other countries, please visit our global Women in STEM scholarships webpage.
Why a scholarship programme?
Studying in the UK in the STEM field will broaden my potential career horizons and help me to contribute to my country as I want to be a part of the changes towards sustainability in our community. I would advise future applicants with a STEM background not to give up; continue to explore subjects in STEM and remember that your contribution is valuable.
Yerkezhan A., Almaty
MSc Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews
According to data from the UN Scientific Education and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), less than 30 per cent of the world’s researchers are women and only 30 per cent of female students select STEM-related fields in higher education.
Globally, female students’ enrolment is particularly low in information and communications technology (three per cent), natural science, mathematics and statistics (five per cent), and engineering, manufacturing and construction (eight per cent).
In Kazakhstan, only 25 per cent of women choose a career in STEM (Gender gap in STEM studies and ways to overcome them: a Kazakhstan case, A. Kussaiynkyzy, G. Zh. Doskeyeva, Central Asian Economic Review, 2020;(3):91-105).
Educating, training and hiring more women in STEM can lead to better scientific and financial outcomes, increasing diversity in the workforce, bringing variety in perspectives and ideas, and giving organisations a competitive edge.
If I were to complete my education in the UK, I would gain practical knowledge about the progression of British companies and apply it to driving progress in Kazakhstani firms. I see myself as a CEO of a corporation with headquarters around the world. I am not afraid to dream big and work hard as I know what awaits me at the end.
Ayaulym Armanova, Semey
MSc Management and Information Systems, Cranfield University
Eligibility criteria
Please visit our global page for information for applicants from outside Kazakhstan.
* Full eligibility criteria are available in the ‘Downloads’ section below.
We are looking for women who:
- can take up a course of study in the UK for the academic year from September/October 2024–25
- can demonstrate a need for financial support
- have an undergraduate degree that will enable them to gain access to one of the pre-selected postgraduate courses at a UK university (for master’s level)
- can attain the level of English required for postgraduate study at a UK university
- are active in the field with work experience or a proven interest in their subject area
- are passionate about their course of study and are willing to engage as committed British Council scholarship alumni.
You are not eligible for a British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM if you:
- hold dual British citizenship
- are an employee, a former employee, or relative (*) of an employee of His Majesty’s Government (including British Embassies/High Commissions; the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy; Department for International Trade; the Ministry of Defence; and the Home Office)
- are an employee, a former employee, or relative (*) of an employee of the British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM – eligible countries
- are currently in receipt of financial support or funding towards your study programme in the UK from any other source
- have previously studied in the UK with funding from a UK government-funded scholarship or a UK institutional scholarship/financial bursary.
(*) Relatives are defined as parents or stepparents, siblings or stepsiblings, children or stepchildren, spouse, civil partner or unmarried partner (where the couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least two years).
What does the scholarship include?
In addition to the prestige of studying at a renowned UK university, the scholarship covers:
- Full tuition fees
- Monthly living stipend
- Return flights to the UK from your home country
- Visa and health coverage fees
- Refund of an IELTS English language test, if required
- Study related costs, such as essential travel within the course, materials, thesis binding, etc.
How to apply
Applications should be made directly to the participating universities. Please click on the links for your chosen institution in the ‘Available scholarships’ section below.
Women from Kazakhstan are eligible to apply to four UK universities, where they will compete for 20 scholarships with other female candidates from the Wider Europe region. Each of the universities listed on this page is offering five scholarships to women from countries in Wider Europe, including Kazakhstan. Please check the application requirements on each university website, where you may also start your application.
You can submit more than one application, but you will need to apply through each institution separately.
Deadlines for applications for master’s scholarships: Tuesday 30 April 2024 (extended to Tuesday 7 May 2024 for University of Glasgow)
Please ensure you check and meet all the eligibility requirements before applying.
After submitting an application, you will next hear directly from the university about the status of your application.