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International School for Government
Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy

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Scholarships

Ben Delo Commonwealth Leadership Programme

The International School for Government at King’s College London is delighted to be able to continue our scholarship programme for mid-career civil servants of Commonwealth member states, as well as officials of British overseas territories and Hong Kong SAR, kindly funded by British entrepreneur, mathematician and philanthropist Ben Delo.

The Ben Delo Commonwealth Leadership Programme offers scholarships to study our master's level, online, four-week short courses. Each course, across our broad curriculum, blends academic rigour and practical application to equip civil servants across the world with the skills they need to maximise their professional effectiveness and impact, and advance in their careers.

The Programme will support as many as 125 students in the 2024 and 2025 calendar years. Applications for scholarship nominations are now open. 

 

Eligibility includes 3+ years as a civil servant; a good undergraduate degree (equivalent of UK 2:1 or above, or equivalent professional experience); and relevant English language skills to study postgraduate level at King’s. Any government of a Commonwealth member state or British overseas territory, or the government of Hong Kong SAR, can nominate suitable civil servants to study with us.

We have a broad curriculum of short courses available and taught each year. The choice of specific courses for civil servants to study under the Ben Delo Commonwealth Leadership Programme scholarships can be chosen by either nominating member states, or by individual civil servants themselves. The International School for Government will support with identifying relevant courses depending on particular capability building priorities or interests.

Find out more about our courses

Individual participants receive a certificate and gain academic credits at master’s level on successful passing of the submitted end-of-course assignment.

 

Accessing the scholarship and studying with us

 

  • Email  isfg-scholarships@kcl.ac.uk or fill out this online form to receive further information.
  • Nominate your civil servants to study with us.
  • Your civil servants make individual applications to study chosen courses with us.
  • Once offers have been received, your civil servants enrol to commence their online study with us, among cohorts of their peers from the civil services of Commonwealth member states, British overseas territories, and Hong Kong SAR.

Scholarship process and policy

 

  • Each Member State can initially nominate up to 10 scholarship enrolments up to the end of Dec ’25.
  • Member State (appropriate representative or nominee’s Line Manager / Senior colleague) to contact isfg-scholarships@kcl.ac.uk to confirm, as appropriate:
    • The name(s) of the civil servant(s) that they wish to nominate under the Ben Delo Commonwealth Leadership Programme scholarships.
    • The nominee(s) is a current civil servant of either a Commonwealth member state, a British overseas territory, or Hong Kong SAR
    • The nominee(s) is able to evidence 3+ years of experience in a relevant policy-focussed role.
    • The nominee(s) is able to evidence a 2:1 undergraduate degree (or international equivalent, or applicants without a degree but with relevant experiential learning through professional roles and responsibilities demonstrating their ability to study at postgraduate level will also be considered).
    • The nominee(s) is able to evidence meeting relevant English Language requirements Band B, as appropriate.
    • The specific course(s) that the nominee(s) is interested in enrolling to study.
    • Current place of residence (town/city and country) – for allocating most appropriate Webinar times, based on time-zone.
  • N.B. evidence of meeting the course eligibility requirements above will be required by each nominee at course application stage as part of KCL Course Admissions procedures, whilst at nomination stage, for a scholarship under the Ben Delo Commonwealth Leadership Programme to be considered, it is essential that the nominating member state is able to confirm their understanding that the nominee meets the course eligibility requirements.
  • Nominations are being assessed and scholarship places offered as they are received - with a current final deadline of the end of Dec ’25, or when all scholarships have been offered, if before.  
  • Scholarships offered by the end of Dec ’25 will be applicable to enrolments on courses commencing up to July ’25 (end of ’25-’26 academic year).
  • Those that have received a scholarship offer, will be invited to submit an application for the specific course that they would like to study, which will include providing evidence of meeting specific course eligibility criteria.  Assuming an offer to study with us is made and accepted, course fees will be covered by the scholarship.