News and blogs

During my four-month stint at the BBC World Service, I worked as a part of the Witness History team in the BBC Radio Current Affairs department.

We have all been there before. Stuck in the heart of a metropolitan city centre during the peak rush hour in gratuitous gridlock traffic. You dial-up the volume of the radio and hear the DJ discussing the latest news in technology, and ironically the topic of self-driving cars is brought up. You swear to yourself […]

‘The past is a foreign country’. That foreign country, which James Southern examines in this fascinating and challenging essay, is the one I lived in from 1968, when I joined Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service from university at the age of 21, until I left 35 years later. ‘So, Mr Wall, have you ever had any […]

I vividly remember during my early years when my mother would say to me, ‘When life throws lemons at you, throw them back and demand oranges if that is what you want.’ She repeatedly said those words, which then birthed a fighting spirit within me. That is the same spirit that saw me apply for […]

London Pancake Day 25 February Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is traditionally when people used to clear out their cupboards of anything sweet before Lent (a period of fasting before Easter) which is why we indulge in this treat! Try them out at one of London’s many fabulous restaurants, some ideas of where to go can […]

Running for over 20 years, the Chevening Gurukul Fellowship for Leadership and Excellence is the UK Foreign Office’s flagship fellowship programme for India aimed at mid-career professionals who are ready to take the next step in their journey towards leadership. My experience as a Chevening Gurukul fellow Over the 25 years I’ve spent working on […]

For some scholars, the holiday season is defined by staying at home with the comforts they are used to, for others, it is by travelling. For these scholars, the holiday season was defined by their decisions to spend it in Scotland! Whether it be to partake in Hogmanay in Edinburgh, the traditional Scottish New Year’s […]

You will know that you’ve arrived in Wales once you see the incredible greenery and the breathtaking mountains that make you feel like you are inside a film. Living in Wales is a life changing experience that every student should live and you can expect many things when you come to live here. For example, […]

Umair is a Chevening Scholar from Pakistan, currently studying at the University of Edinburgh. He says that his experience has been 'life-changing without a doubt'.

December. A month that can be defined by a variety of holiday celebrations across the world including Christmas, Hanukkah (month dependent), Yule, Yalda, and of course, New Year’s Eve. For Cheveners, it is also a break from university between terms which means, ample time to explore the UK, create new traditions, and form new friendships […]