ASEAN-UK SAGE is the UK’s flagship education programme in Southeast Asia, supporting girls and marginalised communities to access education and improve foundational learning.
On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the UK is excited to announce the second year of Women in STEM Scholarships under the ASEAN-UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education (ASEAN-UK SAGE) programme. This initiative reaffirms the UK’s commitment to empowering women in Southeast Asia and Timor-Leste to overcome barriers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
This fully funded scholarship programme offers 11 exceptional women from 10 ASEAN Member States (AMS) and Timor-Leste the opportunity to pursue master’s degrees at two of the UK’s leading universities: The University of Warwick and The University of Manchester. The ASEAN-UK SAGE offer complements the British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM also launched today.
In AMS, there is a mixed picture of gender parity in access and performance in STEM subjects. Despite outperforming boys in mathematics and science in primary and secondary education, women remain underrepresented in STEM in tertiary education with only 19.3% women compared to 39.8% men obtaining STEM degrees (1) . Women doctoral degree students are a minority (2). According to UNESCO, women also account for a minority of the world’s researchers (3). In 2019, fewer than 30% of researchers worldwide were women and only 30%of female students select STEM-related fields in higher education (4). Specifically, for East Asia and the Pacific, women researchers accounted for 25% (5).
This disparity continues into the workforce, with the 2022 UN progress report on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 5, Gender Equality, indicating that only 20% of jobs in the STEM sector are held by women globally and only 16.5% of women inventors are associated with a patent (6).
ASEAN-UK SAGE Programme tackles gender barriers to basic digital skills for employment, aiming to support the development of basic digital skills for marginalised groups to improve employment opportunities and therefore quality of life, which helps narrow the development gap in ASEAN. The ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships support this goal by providing financial assistance to disadvantaged women from ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste to access UK education in key STEM related fields.
In 2024, the first year of the ASEAN-UK SAGE scholarships, 12 women from nine countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, and Timor-Leste) went to the UK to study a range of STEM subjects, from Environmental Data Science and Machine Learning to Engineering Business Management at master’s level at Imperial College London and the University of Warwick. They will be returning home after the end of the UK academic year to begin pursuing their careers in STEM.
British Ambassador to Vietnam, Iain Frew said:
'Education is the foundation of innovation and progress, and investing in women in STEM is investing in a brighter, more inclusive future. Through the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships, we are not only empowering talented women across Vietnam and Southeast Asia to excel in their fields but also fostering stronger UK-ASEAN ties in education, research, and innovation. These scholars will return home equipped with world-class knowledge, ready to break barriers, inspire the next generation, and drive scientific advancements that benefit us all. I am proud that the UK is playing a role in supporting these future leaders as they pave the way for a more diverse and dynamic STEM landscape.'
James Shipton, Director Viet Nam, British Council said:
'Recognising the vital role of women in shaping the future of science and innovation, we are proud to also launch the fifth year of the British Council Women in STEM Scholarships. This programme offers over 65 scholarships globally, including 25 for outstanding women from East Asian countries this year. These prestigious scholarships are more than just financial support—they are a gateway to world-class education, cutting-edge research, and a powerful global network of women leaders in STEM.
With both scholarship programmes, we want to equip talented women with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to thrive, investing in a future where they will break barriers, drive discoveries, and inspire the next generation. Applications for both the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships and the British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM are now open until mid-April 2025, covering tuition fees, stipends, travel costs, visas, and health coverage.'
For more information on the ASEAN – UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarships, please visit: https://www.britishcouncil.id/en/programmes/education/sage
For more information on the British Council Scholarships for Women in STEM, please visit: https://www.britishcouncil.org/study-work-abroad/in-uk/scholarship-women...
(1) https://uploads.mwp.mprod.getusinfo.com/uploads/sites/62/2023/03/WOMEN-I...
(2) https://uploads.mwp.mprod.getusinfo.com/uploads/sites/62/2023/03/WOMEN-I...
(3) https://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/fs60-women-in-scien...
(4) https://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/fs60-women-in-scien...
(5) https://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/fs60-women-in-scien...
(6) https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2022-09/Progress-on-the-sust...