UK Pauses Three Chevening Fellowships for 2027-28, Scholarships Continue

The United Kingdom government has announced a one-year pause on three short-term fellowship programmes under the prestigious Chevening scheme, citing budget reviews and capacity constraints. The affected programmes—Chevening Research, Science and Innovation Leadership Fellowship (CRISP), Chevening Cyber Security Fellowship, and Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme (SAJP)—will not run for the 2027-28 academic cycle.

The pause comes as the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) reviews its fellowship portfolio to ensure it delivers greater impact and value. According to a British High Commission spokesperson, some programmes will pause in 2027 as part of this strengthening process. The SAJP, however, is paused due to capacity constraints at its host university, the University of Westminster, and is expected to resume in 2028.

The CRISP fellowship is a 12-week programme at the University of Oxford for scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs, primarily from India and Sri Lanka. The Cyber Security Fellowship is a 10-week course at Cranfield University, part of the UK’s Defence Academy, for participants from India and the Western Balkans. The SAJP is an eight-week journalism programme for mid-career professionals from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and the Maldives.

The Chevening team is exploring industry sponsorship for CRISP and the Cyber Security Fellowship to sustain these programmes in the future. Additionally, the Chevening Gurukul Fellowship, a 12-week programme at Oxford for Indian mid-career professionals across sectors, will provide an update on its September-November 2027 cohort by early November 2026. Sponsorship opportunities are also being explored for this fellowship.

The pause affects only fellowships, not the broader Chevening Scholarships, which fund a fully paid master’s degree in the UK. Applications for the 2027-28 scholarships remain open. Data tabled in the UK Parliament show that the FCDO allocated £59.4 million to Chevening in financial year 2025-26, though a breakdown between scholarships and fellowships has not been made public.

Chevening Fellowships, launched in 2004 as an extension of the Chevening Scholarships established in 1983, are a key instrument of British soft diplomacy. The programme selects high-potential international professionals to study in the UK, aiming to build influential global networks that advance UK foreign policy interests. A policy paper notes that many alumni hold positions of influence, forming a valuable network for furthering the UK government’s objectives.

The Chevening alumni community exceeds 60,000 members, including 22 current or former heads of state or government. Around 15% of alumni hold prominent positions in government, and ten currently serve as ambassadors or high commissioners in the UK. The UK government acknowledges this pause may be disappointing for prospective applicants but emphasises that the review aims to strengthen the fellowship portfolio for long-term impact.