African students are to be given new opportunities to study at the university thanks to the legacy of one of the UK’s most distinguished female diplomats, it was announced today.

The late Eleanor Emery was the first British female diplomat to head a mission abroad when she was appointed High Commissioner to Botswana in 1973 a post she held until 1977. Miss Emery died in June last year at the age of 88.

In her memory, the Eleanor Emery Scholarship Programme will initially provide three postgraduate research places for students from Botswana, for three successive years beginning in the coming academic year (September 2009).

More funding from Miss Emery’s estate will go towards setting up the Eleanor Emery Botswana Fund which will be used to support postgraduate Botswanan students currently studying at the university. 

The three PhD places will be administered through the Glasgow Centre for International Development (GCID)  and The Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme launched in February last year (2008), to mark the city’s success in securing the Commonwealth Games. The scheme, aimed at helping students from developing countries, gives 53 places – one for each country of the commonwealth the opportunity to study at the university.

The places in the Eleanor Emery Scholarship programme will be awarded to students studying postgraduate courses with a developmental emphasis and priority will be given to subjects related to the economic, scientific and social development of the Southern African state. The aim is that students will take the skills and expertise they have gained at Glasgow back to benefit their home country.

John Briggs, GCID Director and Professor of Geography at the University of Glasgow, said: “This is a very exciting time for the University in its relations with Africa generally and Botswana particularly and this proposed use of Miss Emery’s bequest will make a real impact on our plans for the future.”

Students of the University of Botswana, with whom the University of Glasgow have close links, are now invited to apply for the scholarship scheme.

Miss Emery was the daughter of a Scots immigrants to Canada. She was raised in Alberta before travelling to her parent's native city to read History at the University of Glasgow.

Notes to Editors:

The Glasgow Centre for International Development (GCID) brings together the University's expertise to help develop and strengthen many low-income countries in the Global South and especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Centre is built around four key research themes: Health; Environmental management and infrastructure; Education, lifelong learning & global citizenship and Economic Development.

The Commonwealth Scholarship Scheme offers full support – funding for fees, maintenance and travel costs - to students from the 14 least developed countries of the Commonwealth. The Government’s Department for International Development (DFID) currently identifies these countries as Bangladesh, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. For the remaining 39 scholars, full fees will be provided. The University is continuing its work towards achieving the success of the scheme, through securing support from external funding, donors and friends for the maintenance and travel costs.

For more media information, please contact Eleanor Cowie, Media Relations Officer, at the University of Glasgow on Telephone: 0141 330 3683 or Email: e.cowie@admin.gla.ac.uk

First published: 6 May 2009

<< May