Asabi Rawlins, a graduate of the Institute of International Relations at UWI’s St Augustine Campus, has been awarded a coveted Chevening Scholarship by the British Government. Asabi is one of three nationals of Trinidad and Tobago to win the scholarship that will fund a year of study at universities in the United Kingdom. “I was awarded a Chevening Scholarship to pursue an LLM in International Law and International Relations at the University of Bristol,” said Rawlins. “Chevening Scholarships are awarded through the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office to ‘high calibre graduates with personal, intellectual and interpersonal qualities necessary for leadership’.”
A reception was held for Rawlins and the other two awardees – Akil Callendar and Carlon Mendoza – by the British High Commission in Trinidad and Tobago on August 29, 2019. High Commissioner Tim Stew congratulated the three, calling them “dedicated and deserving young people”.
Rawlins is a consistent high achiever. Earlier this year she was a member of the four-person delegation from IIR at St Augustine to take part in the Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN) at Harvard University where she and her partner Nestor Garcia were awarded “Diplomatic Commendation” for their outstanding performance (See UWI Today, April 2019 https://sta.uwi.edu/uwitoday/ archive/april_2019/article4.asp) .
Over 1000 young scholars from more than 100 countries received Chevening Scholarships on 2019. In total more than 50,000 applications were received and 5000 applicants interviewed worldwide.
Rawlins views the opportunity as very beneficial to her professional development: “The hope is that these ‘future leaders and influencers’ can capitalise on the experience of studying in the UK to amplify their contribution in their respective home country. I am so very grateful and excited to have received this award. My pursuit of the LLM will certainly enrich my prior academic experiences, including my time spent at the IIR.”
