about Chevening
Chevening is the UK government’s international awards programme aimed at developing global leaders since 1983. Funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations, Chevening offers two types of award – Chevening Scholarships and Chevening Fellowships – the recipients of which are personally selected by British embassies and high Commissions throughout the world (learn more about Chevening here).
​
Our association, HABA, was originally set up for creating a supportive network for former Chevening scholars. Since 2004 when Hungary became a member state of the EU, Chevening awards have been replaced by equal educational rights and application requirements among Hungarian and British candidates. Still, HABA remained alive and active in launching new initiatives for Chevening alumni and beyond.
our successful INITIATIVE
Chevening Alumni for Innovation and Competitiveness in the V4 Countries
A unique and innovative international web portal developed by Hungarian Association of British Alumni gave new impetus to knowledge-sharing and co- operation among former Chevening scholars, now businessmen and scientists in the Visegrad Four region.
​
The www.britishalumni.org website, created with the support of the Visegrad Fund and the British foreign ministry (Foreign and Commonwealth Office), was launched at a press conference by Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Deputy State Secretary and British Ambassador to Hungary.
​
The new website and related smartphone applications provided a platform for knowledge-sharing and policy dialogue among up to 800 Chevening alumni and local stakeholders in Central Europe in strategic issues such as energy, healthcare, financial services, research and development, manufacturing and technology, in order to enhance innovation and competitiveness in each of these sectors.
​
The idea of the website came from and was developed by the Hungarian Association of British Alumni (HABA), Central Europe’s largest networking forum for British graduates. The launching of the website marked the 30th Anniversary of the Chevening Scholarship, and coincided with the Hungarian presidency of the Visegrad Group in 2013-14.
our VISION
We believe we don’t really need to do much more, just continue focusing on our recent initiatives:
​​
-
organize regional events that enable personal connections and build trust
-
assure a long-lasting impact of the Chevening culture by providing scholarships and mentoring
-
provide online networking platforms and deliver high quality webinars that address needs for professional development and networking
-
establish local alumni networks, share local best practices, and integrate neighboring countries into our growing international Chevening alumni cooperation
We are confident that the international leadership role of Chevening alumni will result in increasing the competitiveness of the whole Central and Eastern European region. A strong cooperation with British Embassies and a clear roadmap would not only serve UK public diplomacy priorities, but also engage alumni along a common regional strategy.