Chevening Alumnus Hasan Kilani is passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion in the Middle East and North Africa region. He shares how a Chevening Scholarship helped to boost his career.
Living in Amman, Jordan, I was drawn to Chevening as it is one of the most prestigious scholarships in the world. In 2020 I studied MA Transnational Queer Feminist Politics at SOAS University of London.
I had spent my life being an activist, advocating for underrepresented communities in my country. This course and my Chevening Scholarship gave me the tools I needed to grow my horizons in my work and my activism.
I have been passionate about diversity and inclusion since I first became an LGBTQ+ activist. Concepts around diversity and inclusion are relatively new in parts of the MENA region and as a result they can sometimes be misunderstood. Acknowledgment of the sensitivity and complexity of my work from my colleagues is super motivating. It means the world to me when they say: ‘We know this is sensitive, but we trust you’.
My region is very ethnically, religiously and linguistically diverse and, like everywhere, people in MENA have diverse abilities, sexualities and genders. Open discussion about this diversity requires a high level of context analysis and political awareness in every single country I have worked in.
I now work for the international organisation Greenpeace. I am the Justice, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Safety Officer at their Middle East & North Africa (MENA) office.
I feel very proud of the fact that I created the first MENA regional strategies on diversity and inclusion for both Greenpeace and the International Rescue Committee, and I am grateful that Chevening helped me get there.
Applications for Chevening Scholarships are now open. Apply here before 7 November 2023 for the chance to study for a fully funded master’s degree in the UK.
Your Chevening Application is only one step on the path to becoming a master's student in the UK. In addition to applying for a fully funded Chevening Scholarship, you will also need to apply for at least three UK university master's courses - which you will be asked to specify on your Chevening application form. Here is our summary of the main questions we receive on this topic.
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