Ms Loh Yin Shan and Ms Ili Kaiyisah Binte Mohammad Rahan, recipients of the 2020/2021 Chevening Awards, are pursuing Master’s-level courses at UK universities.

British High Commissioner to Singapore Kara Owen presenting Ms Ili Kaiyisah Binte Mohammad Rahan with the Chevening Award at Eden Hall.

The British High Commission Singapore announces today (2 October) two young, outstanding Singaporeans as recipients of the 2020/2021 Chevening Awards.

Ms Loh Yin Shan, 32, and Ms Ili Kaiyisah Binte Mohammad Rahan, 28, are this year’s successful applicants from Singapore for the Chevening programme, which gives future leaders an opportunity to study in the UK, helping them develop academically and professionally.

Over 50,000 professionals from around the world have studied in the UK through the Chevening programme since 1983.

Notable Chevening alumni from Singapore include Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh, Singapore mufti Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, and world-record breaking wheelchair racer Dr William Tan.

Yesterday, Her Excellency Kara Owen presented Ms Loh and Ms Ili Kaiyisah with their Chevening Awards, during a private event held at Eden Hall, the official residence of the British High Commissioner.

Chevening Award presentation Singapore

British High Commissioner to Singapore Kara Owen presenting Ms Loh Yin Shan with the Chevening Award at Eden Hall.

Ms Loh is an Assistant Director at the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and on the founding team of an award-winning social change consultancy, Conjunct Consulting. She is currently a mentor to female students in university through the Young Women’s Leadership Connection platform.

She is pursuing an MBA in Business Administration at the University of Cambridge, which has also awarded her the Forté Foundation Fellows Scholarship in recognition of exceptional female candidates. Ms Loh is also a recipient of the Boston Consulting Group’s Women’s MBA Fellowship.

“Doing my MBA will equip me with a vast array of management skills, including strategic thinking and problem solving. At Cambridge, I’ll also be working with renowned professors and I can tap on the minds of my talented classmates. This will increase my ability to make an impact in Singapore’s public and social sectors,” Ms Loh said.

Ms Ili Kaiyisah is a Senior Research Analyst with an interest in developing sustainable economic development models for companies. She is studying for an MSc in Environment and Development at London School of Economics and Political Science.

She has worked closely with Consumer Goods companies on sustainability-focused business insights and is a seasoned public speaker on circular economy processes and mindful consumerism in Southeast Asia.

“After completing my Masters, I hope to leverage my multi-disciplinary background in research to deepen the collaboration between corporate, NGOs and governmental actors and create a sustainable development framework for the region,” Ms Ili Kaiyisah said.

The Chevening Scholarship supports successful applicants to pursue a Master’s-level course at a university of their choosing.

Applications for study in 2021-2022 are open until 3 November 2020.

About the Chevening Scholarships

The Chevening Scholarships are funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and partner organisations and are open to applications from around 150 countries and territories.

Known previously in Singapore as the Raffles Scholarships, the Chevening programme offers bond-free scholarships to promising young Singaporeans.

Scholarships are usually awarded for one year postgraduate courses at any UK university and on any course of the Scholar’s choice. In Singapore, the financial support usually covers the scholar’s university tuition fees.

Published 2 October 2020