Issue 13 - Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the United ...

My PhD topic is influenced by my experiences as asingle mother and as a professional woman.Even though it has been difficult, I have made it this far with thesupport of colleagues, friends and neighbours.Friends and family: Commonwealth Scholar Lucille Maqubela (back row, second from left) with sons Tlotlego (back row, left) and Keena (back row, second fromright), and Commonwealth Scholar Monica Kirya (back row, right), with son Immanuel (front row, right) and daughter Asifiwe (front row, left)ineffective nor a definite success, but somewhere inbetween. Factors such as contradictions and doublestandards in the policies of international donors,which result in the weak enforcement of aidconditionalities, as well as the nature of politics andgovernment in Uganda – described as “neopatrimonial”in character because it is based onpersonal ties as opposed to the rule of law andproper administrative procedures – may hinder theeffectiveness of these commissions.‘On the other hand, my study shows that, despite theexisting shortcomings, commissions of inquiry havemade a positive contribution to the search fortransparency and accountability in Uganda by namingand shaming the corrupt and, even more importantly,promoting public knowledge and debate on thenature, causes and effects of corruption. Thus,commissions of inquiry may be regarded as making asignificant contribution to sowing the seeds for ananti-corruption norm in Uganda.‘I hope that my study will bring a positive angle tothe debate on corruption in developing countries,which tends to be overwhelmingly pessimistic,and that it will inform future research gearedtowards finding solutions to this pervasiveproblem. If indeed my PhD can make a modestcontribution in this regard, the personaldifficulties I have faced in doing it will have beenmore than worth it!’February 2011 7

WOMEN AS AGENTSOF CHANGEThe theme of Commonwealth Day 2011 will shine a spotlight on gender equality in theCommonwealth. Nyssa Lee-Woolf looks at current initiatives and plans for the future.‘Study after study has shown us that there is no toolfor development more effective than theempowerment of women’. These were then UNSecretary-General Kofi Annan’s words to theCommission on the Status of Women in 2005. Everyyear, 26,000 women are born in theCommonwealth. It is fitting, therefore, that this yearthe Commonwealth will celebrate this group ofpeople, described by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma as ‘making up over halfof the world’s population, receiving less than half theattention and dealing with more than half of theworld’s challenges’.It is a widely-held belief that communities are strongwhen the women in them are strong too and that, asagents of change, women are the untappedresource that will propel the world forward intoprosperity. The importance of the role of women haslong been recognised in international treaties andagreements and, in 2005, the ten-yearCommonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality(PoA) was published and unanimously ratified.The PoA encompasses a vision that will change thelives of women throughout the Commonwealth and,through this empowerment, allow them in turn tohelp other women and girls. As the midpoint of thelifecycle of the PoA has just been passed, now seemsthe perfect time to assess progress – how far we’vecome and how far we still have to go.COMMONWEALTH PLAN OF ACTION FORGENDER EQUALITYIncorporating ideas from other international treaties(such as the 1981 Convention on the Elimination ofall Forms of Discrimination against Women and the1995 Beijing Platform for Action), theCommonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equalityoffers a renewed commitment to improving the livesof women over a period often years. Although thePoA hopes to have achieved a great deal by 2015, itis the vision of a new way of thinking that is at theheart of this document.The gender equality envisioned in the PoA requiresa gender mainstreaming of all policies, so that bothwomen and men have their needs andopportunities taken into account in policy- anddecision-making processes which will affect theirlives. The PoA focuses on four specific areas, andaims to work alongside and help to facilitateachievement of the Millennium Development Goals,in particular Goal 3, which is to promote genderequality and empower women.GENDER, DEMOCRACY, PEACE ANDCONFLICTThe Commonwealth Secretariat notes that anincreasingly unstable world has done nothing butincrease competition for resources and promoteunequal power sharing and a lack of respect forindividual rights and freedoms. Women have beenimpacted on to such an extent that the UN wasprompted to issue Security Resolution 1325 in 2000,calling for ‘the equal and full involvement of women inall efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peaceand security’. This contribution can only be assured ifwomen are given greater access to participate inpolitical institutions and decision-making.The PoA endorses the target, set by the Fifth Meetingof Commonwealth Ministers Responsible forWomen’s Affairs (5WAMM) in 1996, of at least 30%of those making decisions in political, public andprivate sectors being women. Approximately 20Commonwealth countries had attained this level atsome point by 2003, but only New Zealand, SouthAfrica and Mozambique have managed to maintainthis target.The 9th Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting(9WAMM) in 2010 called on states to ‘honour’ thetarget and suggested that a fast tracking of women’sparticipation was necessary to achieve it. 9WAMMalso noted the effects of conflict on women,including displacement, extra familial responsibilitiesand the ‘devastating forms of gender violenceincluding sexual violence’ – it stated that ‘violenceagainst women remains one of the largest globalthreats to human security in all societies’. Theconference statement calls on Commonwealthmember states to reduce the marginalisation ofwomen in post-conflict processes by enforcing theprovisions of UN Resolution 1325 and enablingthese women to access their human rights.A briefing paper by the UK Department forInternational Development (DFID) on its GenderEquality Action Plan 2007-2009 noted that the issueof violence, in particular, requires a ‘widespreadchange in attitudes and perceptions’ which would bealmost impossible to achieve without theparticipation of men and boys in the reformprocesses.GENDER, HUMAN RIGHTS AND LAWWomen are often not treated or even seen as equalto men, despite numerous international treaties toprotect their rights. Attitudes, entrenched customsand traditions, cultural hierarchies and poverty alladd to the repression. In situations where womenare dependent upon others for resources,relationships can disintegrate, leading to instancesof violence and trafficking, and a woman’s rightscan all but disappear.The African Development Bank (AFDB) noted in itsGender Plan 2009-2011 the challenge of achievingempowerment in ‘fragile’ states and that their‘historical practices of exclusion, gender basedviolence, and displacement, amongst others, havecreated large gaps in education, employmentopportunities, access to and management of naturalresources and political representation’. The AFDBhas established the Fragile States Facility to addressthese challenges, through working with the statesconcerned and other bodies, such as the WorldBank.Pakistan has also achieved success with the Accessto Justice in Pakistan programme. The AsianDevelopment Bank (ADB) claims that the numberof female judges in four states in Pakistan hasdoubled as a result of this programme. The ADBalso reports that the Coastal Fisheries Managementand Development Programme in Papua NewGuinea has led to women sitting on committees, amove away from local tradition.GENDER, POVERTY ERADICATION ANDECONOMIC EMPOWERMENTWomen are often denied access to resources. NewZealand Aid describes in its gender policy that, forempowerment to be facilitated, we must ensure that8 Commonwealth Scholarships News

‘poor women and girls can secure sustainablelivelihoods by increasing and improving theiraccess to, control of, and benefits from economicand natural resources, opportunities and servicesincluding housing, employment, land, credit,markets, trade, and information communications’.The challenges faced in doing this are very real. TheAFDB has highlighted that food, fuel and financialcrises mean that the threat to ‘achieving genderequality and women’s empowerment in Africa ismuch greater than ever before. Girls are highlyvulnerable to being pulled out of school ashouseholds cope with declining income whilewomen may tend to take up additional economicactivities to address the income gap, adding to theirwork load burden’. Gender responsive budgeting isa key tool in addressing the imbalances felt bywomen. The AFDB has reported that severalcountries, including Zambia and Ghana, arebeginning to use these measures, applying genderanalysis to national expenditure.The Commonwealth Secretariat is working with theRural Support Programmes Network in Pakistan,where women are given the opportunity to workwith international designers and sell their productsin European markets. The Secretariat is also apartner in the UN Girls’ Education Initiative,working to ‘remove barriers to learning, such asschool fees’ and promoting policies which prioritisethe most disadvantaged girls.Commonwealth Secretariat supports governmentsin their drives to create awareness througheducation and training, and it has also beensuggested that governments should increaseawareness of existing support available to womenlocally.There is clearly much ground still to cover. AusAID(the Australian Agency for InternationalDevelopment) statistics show that two-thirds of the800 million people in the world who lack basicliteracy skills are female, half a million women dieeach year from complications during pregnancy –99% of them in developing countries – and 1 in 3women and girls globally experience physical andsexual violence.9WAMM asked for further ‘co-ordinated action,effective partnerships and increased accountability’.Andrew Mitchell, the UK Secretary of State forInternational Development, affirmed the UK’scommitment to this notion in a speech earlier thisyear, stating that ‘promoting gender equality is vitalfor meeting the MDGs and for creating aprosperous, safe and peaceful world, wherewomen have better access to health services, toeducation and to economic growth and theirchildren are healthier and better educated. As aresult, economies flourish and societies are morepeaceful. Britain will be placing women at the heartof the whole of our agenda for internationaldevelopment’.WOMEN AS AGENTS OF CHANGE –CALL FOR NOMINATIONSRecognising the vital contribution that womenmake in their communities and public life alike,the Commonwealth Secretariat are asking staffacross Commonwealth societies and organisationsto nominate examples of such women. A judgingpanel will select the most inspiring examples,which may be featured in a publication for theforthcoming Commonwealth Heads ofGovernment meeting in Perth, Australia, inOctober 2011. To make a nomination, visitwww.surveymonkey.com/CWagentsofchangeGENDER AND HIV/AIDSThe PoA urges states to consider the broaderimplications of HIV/AIDS – the obvious human lossas well as the impact on national productivity, withsmaller states being the hardest hit. The inequalityof women’s standing in relationships and societyleaves them especially vulnerable, as they may beunable to persuade their partners to use adequateprotection or forced to engage in sex work as theironly source of income to support their families.The PoA notes that 11,000,000 children under theage of 15 in sub-Saharan Africa had lost one orboth parents to HIV/AIDS by 2005 – this wasexpected to rise to 20,000,000 by 2010. TheThere is, therefore, a great deal of light at the endof this tunnel, as Commonwealth countries workwith international organisations to initiateprogrammes of reform and enhancement. Genderempowerment is a massive challenge, and it islikely that not everything envisioned by the PoA willhave been achieved by 2015. However, the legacyof the PoA will be the extent to which it hasgalvanised both individuals and government tomove determinedly towards equality. As `Abdu’l-Bahá wrote, ‘the human race is a two-winged bird...Unless both wings are equally developed, thehuman race cannot fly’. A woman casting her vote in the 2008parliamentary elections in Bangladesh© Commonwealth SecretariatFebruary 2011 9

OUR ALUMNIAlumni newsALUMNUS INAUGURATES THE SEYCHELLES’FIRST UNIVERSITYThe inauguration ceremony for the new University ofSeychelles was held in November 2010, andattended by James Michel, President of theSeychelles, and HRH Princess Anne. Dr Rolph Payet(Commonwealth Scholar, BSc Biochemistry,University of East Anglia, 1989-1992) is the foundingPresident and Vice-Chancellor of the university; hespoke of the honour of welcoming the PrincessRoyal to his institution and paid tribute to PresidentJames Michel, who had the ‘vision anddetermination to establish Seychelles’ very ownuniversity’. Around 500 guests, including academicdignitaries from around the globe, attendedthe ceremony.(l-r) Former Commonwealth Scholar Rolph Payet,HRH Princess Anne, and President James Michel,at the inauguration ceremony of the University ofSeychellesThe republic’s first public university opened inSeptember 2009, and now has more than 300students on over 12 degree programmes. TheUniversity of Seychelles has an ongoing partnershipwith the University of London InternationalAll career information sent in by alumni willbe recorded on our database and updatedin the CSC online Directory annually –email us at alumni@cscuk.org.ukProgramme (UK), University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne (France), Edith Cowan University(Australia), and University of La Réunion (France).USING EDUCATION TO IMPROVECOMMUNITIESHamis Mugendawala (Commonwealth DistanceLearning Scholar, MA International Education andDevelopment, Institute of Education, University ofLondon, 2007-2010) has been inspired by his studiesto work on developing two education institutions ina poverty-stricken area of eastern Uganda. He hashelped to raise money for building materials andinitial construction of a vocational polytechnic inJinja, and is working to secure public-private fundingwith the Ugandan government. Hamis is now aimingto increase secondary school provision in the area,where long-distance commutes to and from schooland a lack of transport links mean that few childrencontinue their education beyond primary level,leading to unemployment, poverty and high levelsof teenage pregnancy.Awards and prizesDr Poonam Bala (Commonwealth Scholar fromIndia, PhD Sociology, University of Edinburgh, 1983-1988) was awarded a Visiting Professorship at theUniversity of Pretoria, South Africa, in 2010.Dr Carolyn Barshay-Szmidt (Commonwealth Scholarfrom Canada, MPhil and PhD Archaeology,University of Cambridge, 1995-1996 and 1997-2002)was awarded the Hunt Postdoctoral Fellowship2009-2010 from The Wenner-Gren Foundation forAnthropological Research. Amongst many academicactivities, she currently directs a multi-siteradiocarbon dating project aimed at the Middle toUpper Palaeolithic transition in the larger southernFrance region.Professor Akaehomen Ibhadode (CommonwealthScholar from Nigeria, PhD Mechanical Engineering,University of Birmingham, 1984-1987) has won theNigeria Prize for Science 2010, for his work on thedevelopment of new methods for precision diedesign. The awarding judges noted that he hasmade a significant contribution to the field of coldforging and that his work has had a major industrialand economic impact, with his methods being usedin both steel and aluminium production.Professor Venkateswarlu Kadiyala (CommonwealthFellow from India, Agricultural Microbiology,University of Dundee, 1988) received an EndeavourExecutive Award from the Australian government,tobe held at the University of South Australia fromOctober 2010-February 2011.Mohammed Golam Quader Khan (CommonwealthScholar from Bangladesh, PhD AquacultureGenetics, University of Stirling, 2007-2010) won firstprize in the oral presentation competition at the 2ndPhD Research Conference at the Institute ofAquaculture, University of Stirling, in June 2010.Dr Adetoun Mustapha (Commonwealth Scholarfrom Nigeria, PhD Environmental Epidemiology,Imperial College London, 2002-2007) was awardedthe 2010 Rebecca James Baker Memorial Prize by theInternational Society for EnvironmentalEpidemiology. The award, given to new investigatorswho have shown particular commitment toenvironmental epidemiology as a tool, recognisedhis research on the health effects of air pollution onchildren living in the Niger Delta region.PublicationsDr Emmanuel Akpabio (Commonwealth Split-siteScholar from Nigeria, PhD Environmental andResource Management, University of Uyo andLancaster University, 2004-2006) has published hisdoctoral thesis as a textbook, titled Integrated WaterResources Management in Nigeria: Local Factorsand Institutional Challenges (LAP LambertAcademic Publishing, 2010).Dr Samina Bano (Commonwealth Fellow fromPakistan, Clinical Biochemistry, University of WalesInstitute, Cardiff, 2008) has published Trends inPsychopharmacology: Pharmacodynamics to10 Commonwealth Scholarships News

COVER PHOTOS(l-r, from top row)Pamela Chilubanama, 2007 CommonwealthScholar from Zambia, PhD Environmental Law,University of Manchester (archive photo)Aishah Namukasa, Commonwealth Scholar fromUganda, LLM International Law, University ofNottingham, 2008-2009 (archive photo)Cornelia Ndifon, Commonwealth Scholar fromNigeria, MPH International Public Health, Universityof Leeds, 2003-2004 (archive photo)Lynn Kuok, 2007 Commonwealth Scholar fromSingapore, PhD Political Science, University ofCambridge (archive photo)Lara de Klerk, 2007 Commonwealth AnniversaryScholar from South Africa, PhD Global Governance,University of EdinburghShamba Phiri, Commonwealth Scholar fromZambia, MA Education and Development, Instituteof Education, 1992-1993 (archive photo)Adonna Jardine-Comrie, 2007 CommonwealthSplit-site Scholar from St Vincent and theGrenadines, PhD Education for SustainableDevelopment, University of the West Indies at Monaand University of Liverpool (archive photo)Sook Pheng Wong, Commonwealth SharedScholar from Malaysia, MSc Cancer Cell andMolecular Biology, University of Leicester, 2007-2008 (archive photo)Anoja Wickramasinghe, Commonwealth Scholarfrom Sri Lanka, PhD Forest Ecology, University ofSheffield, 1980-1983 (archive photo)Olive Sabiiti, 2009 Commonwealth Scholar fromUganda, PhD Law, Economy and GlobalGovernance, University of ManchesterManjula Sritharan, Commonwealth Fellow fromIndia, Tuberculosis Research, Veterinary LaboratoriesAgency, 2007 (archive photo)Courtney Gillett, Commonwealth Scholar fromBelize, MSc Democracy and Democratisation,University College London, 2009-2010Pharmacogenetics: Tryptophan metabolism instress (VDM Verlag Dr Müller, 2010).Dr Canagasaby Devendra (Commonwealth Scholarfrom Malaysia,PhD AnimalNutrition,University ofNottingham 1966-1969) has recentlypublished SmallFarms in Asia:RevitalisingAgriculturalProduction, FoodSecurity andRural Poverty(Akademi SainsMalaysia, 2010).Professor Debal K Singharoy (CommonwealthFellow from India, Sociology, Open University, 2006)has recently edited Dissenting Voices andTransformative Actions: Social Movements inGlobalizing World, Interrogating SocialDevelopment: Global Perspectives and LocalInitiatives, and Surviving Against Odds:Marginalized in a Globalising World (all Manohar,2010).RecentappointmentsDr Johnson Adesodun (Commonwealth Split-siteScholar from Nigeria, PhD Soil Physics, University ofNigeria and University of Stirling, 2002-2003) hasbeen appointed Head of the Department of SoilScience and Land Management at the University ofAgriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.Dr Deryck Brown (Commonwealth Scholar fromTrinidad and Tobago, PhD Development Policy andManagement, University of Manchester, 1993-1996)has been appointed Senior Governance/CapacityDevelopment Specialist at the World Bank. He willbe responsible for managing the GlobalDevelopment Learning Network in AnglophoneAfrica and for working with country managementand sectoral units to identify capacity-developmentneeds and design appropriate solutions.Edward Greenspon (Commonwealth Scholar fromCanada, MSc Politics, London School of Economicsand Political Science, 1984-1986) has beenappointed Vice-President, Business Development atthe Toronto Star and other titles within Star MediaGroup. He is also Chair of The GPS Project, aninitiative of the Canadian International Councilaimed at producing a new global positioningstrategy for Canada.Dr Venkateswarlu Kanamarlapudi (CommonwealthScholar from India, PhD Molecular Biology,University of Sheffield, 1993-1997) has beenappointed Professor of Molecular Cell Biology atSwansea University, UK.Dr Donald Anthony Mwiturubani (CommonwealthSplit-site Scholar from Tanzania, PhD WaterResource Management, University of Dar es Salaamand University of Glasgow, 2002-2003) spent twoyears as a Senior Researcher in the EnvironmentalSecurity Programme of the Institute for SecurityStudies in Nairobi, Kenya, before returning to hisposition as a Lecturer in Geography at the Universityof Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in July 2010. He hadpreviously been a Visiting Lecturer at UmeåUniversity, Sweden, in 2008, after a post as ResearchFellow at the Council for the Development of SocialScience Research in Africa (CODESRIA) from 2003-2004.Dr Doris Onwukaeme (Commonwealth Scholarfrom Nigeria, PhD Pharmacognosy, University ofBath 1984-1988) has been promoted to Professor inthe Department of Pharmacognosy at the Universityof Benin, Nigeria. She is currently on a one-yearsabbatical at the Faculty of Pharmacy at theUniversity of Lagos, Nigeria.Valérie Sara Price (Commonwealth Scholar fromCanada, MSc Childhood Studies, University ofEdinburgh, 2007-2008) has been appointed SeniorDevelopment Officer in the Kenya-Uganda team ofthe Canadian International Development Agency(CIDA). She was awarded the position through thehighly competitive Recruitment of Policy Leadersprogramme of the Canadian Federal Government,having previously worked as a Program Officer at theUnited Nations Development Programme from2006-2007.Valérie Price, former Commonwealth Scholar fromCanadaDr Smita Sadhu (Commonwealth Fellow from India,Engineering, University of Cambridge, 2004) hasbeen promoted to Professor of Electrical Engineeringat Jadavpur University, India.Dr Milika Sobey (Commonwealth Scholar from Fiji,PhD Nitrogen Cycling in Tropical Lagoons, Universityof Essex, 2001-2004) has been appointed WaterProgramme Coordinator of the International Unionfor the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Fiji. She hasworked for the IUCN since 2005, when she joined asthe Oceania Regional Vice-Chair, following herprevious position as a Lecturer in Biology at theUniversity of the South Pacific.February 2011 11

ALUMNI PROFILEThis issue, we look at the careers of three female former Commonwealth Scholars: eminent scientist DameBridget Ogilvie, diplomat and international development expert Carolyn McMaster, and Deputy SecretaryGeneral of the Trained Nurses Association of India Nanthini Subbiah.Dame Bridget Ogilvie (Commonwealth Scholar fromAustralia, PhD Immunology of Parasites, Universityof Cambridge, 1960-1964) recollects a freedom andflexibility in her PhD studies that developed hersense of independence. Building on theseexperiences and strengths, she went on to combinepioneering scientific research with senior leadershiproles. As a Research Scientist at the UK’s NationalInstitute of Medical Research, her area of study wasthe immune response to helminth (worm) parasites,then a rapidly developing field.Bridget held a variety of roles at the Wellcome Trust,latterly serving as Director. She cites her mainachievement as the establishment of the SangerInstitute, a genomic research centre in Cambridge,UK. ‘It played a major rolein the initial sequencingof the human genomeand was instrumental inassuring that thesequence of this genomewas not privatised butmade immediatelyavailable to the world.’The Institute is still anBridget Ogilvie, former international leader in theCommonwealth Scholar field of genomefrom Australia sequencing.Compared to when shebegan her own scientificcareer, Bridget believesthat it can be easier nowfor women to achieve ahigh-profile career, withmen sharing family responsibilities. Although thereare many women at junior levels in the academicbiological sciences field, there are few in seniorleadership positions. Bridget feels that the pay gapbetween men and women needs to be addressed bymanagement, and a top-down approach is neededto ensure equality. She cites the case of theUniversity of Cambridge, where action has seen theaverage salary become equal for both sexes.Carolyn McMaster (Commonwealth Scholar fromCanada, MPhil International Relations, LondonSchool of Economics and Political Science, 1969-1971) grew up in a household interested ininternational affairs. ‘From an early age I participatedin dinner table discussions about both Canadian andworld events. A job which would allow me to workabroad was a logical choice after university.’The insights into international relations and Africawhich Carolyn gained during her scholarship provedinvaluable in her subsequent career. Carolyn joinedthe Canadian International Development Agency(CIDA), and was later seconded to the Departmentof Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) in1990. There, she was Deputy Chairperson of theSouthern Africa Task Force, set up to manageCanada’s relations with South Africa and theSouthern Africa region during the transition fromapartheid.Carolyn went on to hold a variety of posts, includingserving as Deputy High Commissioner to NewZealand, yet she feels that the five years she spent inSouth Africa from 1995-2000 were her biggestchallenge. ‘Canada had played an active role in thecampaign to end apartheid and the development ofthe new constitution. With the advent of the firstmultiracial government in 1994, it was time todevelop a wide range of political, economic, cultural,development and academic relations.’ Sheremembers being inspired and humbled whenwatching elderly South Africans wait patiently in theblazing sun to vote in the 1994 elections.Carolyn appreciates the importance of internationalscholarships in facilitating international linkages. ‘Ibelieve that the value of international exchanges liesas much in the exposure to different cultures andviews as in the strict academic experience. Long maythe CSC continue!’Nanthini Subbiah (Commonwealth ProfessionalFellow from India, NHS Manchester, 2009)undertook her Professional Fellowship in the area ofpatient safety and clinical governance, includingissues such as risk assessment and management,clinical guidelines, and clinical audit processes.Equally important was the opportunity to visitinstitutions such as the Department of Health,National Patient Safety Agency, the General MedicalCouncil, and the World Health Organization.Nanthini valued the intensive coaching in smallgroups with leaders in the field, which gave her areal insight into key issues.Following her return to India, Nanthini has been ableto pass on her knowledge to other nurses throughThe Nursing Journal of India and during orientationand training for student nurses all over the country.As Deputy Secretary General of the Trained NursesAssociation, she prepared its policy positionstatement on patient safety, which was passedduring its annual conference.Nanthini alsoappreciates how herfellowship allowedher an insight intothe different workingexperiences ofnurses in othercountries. Back inIndia, she finds thatit can be difficult toimplement bestpractice at workNanthini Subbiah, formerwhen facingCommonwealth Professionalchallenges causedFellow from Indiaby a lack ofresources and lownurse-patient ratios.‘I find the mostsatisfaction ini m p a r t i n gknowledge and hands-on skills to the nursingstudents. My guidance and supervision in the clinicalarea bridge the gap between the theory and practicalaspects, which lead to a family’s satisfactionregarding the nursing services rendered.’12 Commonwealth Scholarships News

OUR IMPACTCSC Evaluation and Monitoring ProgrammeEVALUATING SCHOLARSHIPS IN THEHEALTH SECTORJames Ransom on thefindings of a recent report.Effective evaluation is atime-consuming andchallenging process. Somemay argue that if a schemeseems to be working andits programmes produce asteady stream of successfulalumni, why shouldresources be spentanalysing exactly how this happened? Butevaluating scholarships and measuring impact is notonly useful, but necessary. Meaningful evaluationcan tell us whether scholarship schemes aremeeting their objectives and the nature of theirshort and long-term impacts, as well as allowing usto examine the effects of new policies and practices.It can also provide a stimulus to adapt and improveour schemes and a demonstration of their worth tofunders and other stakeholders.The fifth and latest publication from the CSC’sEvaluation and Monitoring Programme assesses theimpact of our scholarships in the health sector.Examples of activity include influencing governmentto provide clean water to flood-affectedcommunities, coordinating the construction of amaternity hospital, leading an HIV/AIDS peereducation organisation, lobbying government onmalaria prevention, developing a drug to combatAIDS, and launching a research laboratory. Onealumnus has been Chief Medical Officer, anotherPermanent Secretary of a Ministry of Health, andseveral have used their knowledge and skills in workwith national governments, the United Nations, theThe CSC participated in a panel discussion on theevaluation of health programmes at the recentDistance Learning 4 Health (DL4H) InternationalWorkshop hosted by the London InternationalDevelopment Centre (LIDC), and attended by over70 development practitioners from the UK andabroad.World Health Organization and international NGOs.We have now moved beyond the initial alumnisurvey, which was an extensive onlinequestionnaire, and have tried to provide a degree ofquantification where possible. In doing so, we havehad to be careful with causation; if an alumnushadn’t received an award, would they have stillfounded their own medical centre or developed anew national health policy? Our questions havesought, in particular, to avoid painting a simplesequence of events, where, for instance, ascholarship was followed by a promotion which wasfollowed by increased influence with governmentofficials. Instead, we ask exactly what knowledgeand skills the scholarship afforded, whether therewere difficulties in implementing these skills andknowledge, whether similar opportunities exist inneighbouring countries, and so on.This has required a more personal approach toevaluation and as such has avoided reducingalumni to mere statistics. Our scholarships havegenerated thousands of stories, a few of which youcan read within these pages. One of theCommonwealth Scholars interviewed for thereport, Clementine Mashwama, graduated with anMSc in Community Paediatrics from the Universityof Nottingham in 2001. She is now a SeniorLecturer and Coordinator at the Nazarene Collegeof Nursing in Swaziland, responsible for teachingpaediatrics as well as examining, developing andimplementing the curriculum. ‘I was exposed todifferent ways of doing things,’ she says. ‘Thepaediatric setting was different in Nottingham, so Inoted how things were done, and study here gaveme an opportunity to apply some of these things ata later stage, such as how best to conduct thephysical assessments of children. I was a generalistThe discussion explored the issues of evaluatingdistance learning scholarships, drawing onpreparatory work for the CSC’s upcoming reporton Master’s-level awards. The CSC’s presentationemphasised the distinctly different contexts of UKbasedscholarships compared to those taught bydistance. ‘We expect several differences, not leastthe difficulties of studying in rural or fragileenvironments, managing workplace commitments,and access to resources. But also that the contentstudents learn can be implemented the very nextday in the workplace; impact in distance learningfor health can be instant. And, for that reason,evaluation should be an ongoing, live process thatreflects the very benefits of distance learning study.’A full report of the workshop is available atwww.lidc.org.uk/news_detail.php?news_id=104before, and the course focused my interests andskills.’Across our awards as a whole, the report found that,while 16% of respondents to our surveys hadstudied in a health-related field, 38% indicated thatthey have had an impact in health. Alumni of otherdisciplines have had an impact in health; thosestudying health have had an impact in other areas.Such impact is rarely confined to only one area; wefound that those who reported impact in health alsoreported a relatively high impact in job creation,science, and education. This underlines the fact that‘development’ as a field is composed of interrelatedand interdependent fields, which should not be seenas isolated disciplines. The CSC will be exploringthese other fields of development in futureevaluation work, in particular democracy andgovernance.The report, Evaluating CommonwealthScholarships in the United Kingdom: Assessingimpact in the health sector, is available online atwww.cscuk.org.uk/evaluationCommonwealth Distance Learning Scholar EdwardBwengye-Kahororo (right), with a district waterofficer, constructing a temporary latrine for floodaffectedprimary school pupilsACHIEVING GENDER PARITY:MEASURING THE CSC’S PROGRESSSarah Hinz examines issues of gender in theCSC's work.We know that a large proportion of current and formerCommonwealth Scholars and Fellows are female. Wealso know, through alumni surveys, reports andanecdotal evidence, that many of these women are14 Commonwealth Scholarships News

oth directly and indirectly working to redress genderimbalances in their workplaces and wider societies.However, until recently, we had no specific researchexamining how well women are represented withinour own various scholarship and fellowship schemes,and whether the range and flexibility offered byrecently-introduced schemes are actually helping theCSC to achieve gender parity in its awards.THE HISTORICAL PICTURELooking at nominations and selections over the last 51years, it can be concluded that the CSC is heading inthe right direction although a 50/50 balance has yet tobe achieved. As the chart below shows, there has beena steady increase in the proportion of female ScholarsCommonwealth Scholars and Fellows by gender, 1960-2010and Fellows, from 9% in the 1960s to 42% in 2010,with a particularly strong increase in the 1990s. Thisdrastic improvement is potentially linked to both theintroduction of new schemes, such as Split-site andDistance Learning Scholarships and ProfessionalFellowships, and increasing recognition of theimportance of gender equality worldwide.FROM 2000 ONWARDSAnalysis of data from recent years can be morehelpful, as it positions CSC trends in the context ofnational and global attitudes. As such, we shouldconsider not only how many women are selected forawards, but also how many are nominated to theCSC by national agencies and institutions. Over thelast 11 years, overall figures show that 39% of allnominees for awards were female and 61% weremale, while 42% of candidates finally selected forawards were women and 58% were men. As theCSC can make its selections only from the pool ofnominated candidates, it is worth taking a closerlook at how this group breaks down by region,scheme, and level of study.REGIONAL TRENDSWe found a clear distinction between regions withregards to the gender split of their nominees. From1999 to 2009, countries in the Caribbean, NorthAmerica, Europe and Australasia nominated morewomen than men forCommonwealth Scholarshipsor Fellowships, whereascountries in the Pacific, SouthAsia, and sub-Saharan Africanominated more men thanwomen. Countries in the FarEast had a well-balancedgender distribution. In 2010,the most recent year forwhich we have data, therewere more female than malenominees from the Far East,and fewer female than malenominees from NorthAmerica, while Australiaachieved a good balance.It is worth noting that the tworegions with the largestabsolute number ofnominees, namely sub-Saharan Africa and SouthAsia, have consistentlynominated fewer women than men over this 11-yearperiod, but that the opposite is true in the Caribbean.TRENDS BY SCHEMEOnly one of our scholarship schemes has had morefemale than male nominees over the 1999-2010period: postgraduate Scholarships for individualsfrom developed Commonwealth countries.However, the data does show that women havetended to do better in certain schemes. For example,women were proportionally better represented inthe Professional Fellowship and Split-site Scholarshipschemes from 1999-2009; in 2010, both ProfessionalFellowships and postgraduate Scholarships fordeveloping Commonwealth country citizensreceived a higher proportion of female nominees –a positive development, as the latter scheme has byfar the largest absolute number of nominees.TRENDS BY LEVEL OF STUDYIn terms of level of study, the difference between theproportion of female and male nominees does atleast approach a 50/50 split. From 1999-2009, 57%of nominees for Master’s-level awards were menand 43% were women; for PhD-level awards, 58%of nominees were men and 42% were women.THE FUTUREAlthough significant improvements have been madesince the early years of the scheme, there are still afew areas in which women are notablyunderrepresented. Whilst we recognise that widerdevelopment issues, particularly the participation ofgirls and women in primary, secondary and tertiaryeducation, are beyond our control, we aim both toconduct further analysis of our data and to ensurethat efforts to achieve gender parity form a core partof our activity and policy. We hope that this,combined with global changes such as the reportedincrease in the number of women entering tertiaryeducation in many Commonwealth countries, willresult in more women being nominated and, byextension, selected for awards, leading ultimately towomen being fairly and equally representedamongst our awardholders.CSC EVALUATION AND MONITORINGPROGRAMMEThe CSC has undertaken monitoringwork through annual reports from awardholders and supervisors, anonymousquestionnaires, and analyses of completionrates for many years. In addition to this, in2008, we launched an in-depth three-phaseevaluation programme, which aims to identifyand quantify the impact of our awards onindividual scholars, on institutions, and on awider scale on communities and societies.To date, work has included tracing alumni andupdating records, analysis of key issues suchas gender balance, a large-scale alumnisurvey, and written reports detailing the impactof alumni in specific regions and in specificsectors. For more information, visitwww.cscuk.org.uk/evaluation or contactevaluation@cscuk.org.ukFebruary 2011 15

NETWORKS AND EVENTSvenue to the unique sounds of the bagpipes beingplayed from the Library steps. Scottish Minister forCulture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop MSP,addressed the reception, speaking about theimportance of higher education and, in particular, thebenefits that countries such as Scotland can reap bybringing scholars of high intellect to study, researchand help grow their economies. Other speakersincluded Professor Sir Timothy O'Shea, Principal andVice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, andDavid Hallam, Deputy Director of the UN andCommonwealth Department at the Department forInternational Development (DFID).citizen of the Commonwealth in the 21st century,and brought together academics from across theCommonwealth as well as Commonwealth Scholarsand Fellows to think about issues relevant to theCommonwealth.Rouan Wilsenach (2010 Commonwealth Scholarfrom South Africa, MA Creative Writing, University ofEast Anglia) noted that ‘The concept of “activecitizenship” arose early on, and this idea ofeducating and empowering people living inCommonwealth countries became the major thrustof discussion during the conference’.Dr Uduak Udom, 2010 Commonwealth ProfessionalFellow, speaking at the CSC Welcome Programme2010CSC WELCOME PROGRAMME 2010New Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows werewelcomed to the UK during a Welcome Programmegraciously hosted by the University of Edinburgh from14-15 November 2010. The continued support of theScottish Government for the CSC allowed the event tobe held outside London for the first time. An array oflectures and discussion sessions were arranged,enabling award holders to meet their awardadministrators as well as network with their peers.The programme began with well-received speechesdetailing the policies, procedures and visions of theCSC, including the hope that all award holders willcontinue to see themselves as ‘CommonwealthScholars for life’. This was followed by the launch ofUniversities UK’s new policy briefing on universitiesand development, and a panel discussion on itsimplications for future policy. The second dayfeatured a talk on British politics and the 2010 GeneralElection, given by Professor Justin Fisher, Director ofthe Magna Carta Institute at Brunel University, and thelaunch of the new CSC online Directory (see page 3).The University of Edinburgh also hosted a reception atthe Playfair Library on the first evening. A traditionalScottish welcome was provided, as guests entered theTHE COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCEThe first annual Commonwealth Conference washeld from 10-12November 2010,at CumberlandLodge, Windsor,UK. Jointlyorganised by theCSC, theCommonwealthFoundation andthe Institute ofCommonwealthStudies (ICS),the conferenceexplored what itmeans to be aCSC PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS – HAVE YOU SIGNED UP?The CSC has nine Professional Networks, open toboth current Scholars and Fellows and alumni, in arange of professional subject areas:• Gender• Health• Education• Governance, civil society and communitydevelopment• Environment• Agriculture and rural development• Science and technology• Legal• Faiths and civil societyNatasa Mavronicola (2010 Commonwealth Scholarfrom Cyprus, CPGS Human Rights, University ofAn interactive session at the Commonwealth ConferenceMembers receive quarterly e-newsletters and canalso post items to the network. To join a network,or to change your contact email address to ensureyou continue to receive e-newsletters, visitwww.cscuk.org.uk/professional_networks.aspWe are constantly working to widen the scope ofthe Professional Networks, and the Agriculture andRural Development Network now has a LinkedIngroup, to enable greater interactivity amongstmembers. A new Professional Network in the areaof finance and enterprise is also planned for launchin 2011. If you have any views or feedback, pleasecontact us at comments@cscuk.org.uk16 Commonwealth Scholarships News

COUNTRY PROFILE –CAMEROONNOMINATION PROCESSThe Ministry of Higher Education oversees theCommonwealth Scholarship nomination process inthe Republic of Cameroon. Scholarships arepublicised via press and radio and at universities.Applications are handled by the CameroonCommonwealth Scholarship Commission.Applications are presented to an ad hoc MinisterialCommission, which also comprises representativesfrom state universities, for review. The nominees arethen forwarded to the CSC for final selection. Thenomination process takes around four months in total.Selection criteria include:• academic excellence• consistent academic profile• fields of study in line with national developmentpriorities• priority for young Assistant Lecturers wanting topursue PhD studyInternational scholarship schemes such asCommonwealth Scholarships are important toCameroon in many ways. A spokesperson from theMinistry says ‘It helps in staffing our universities. Itenables students to major in priority fields of studynot offered in our country, and relevant to thedevelopment of Cameroon’.ALUMNI‘Winning the Commonwealth Scholarshipcompletely changed my life’. The reaction of DrEneke Tambe Bechem is typical of Cameroonianalumni. She studied for a PhD in Plant and SoilScience at the University of Aberdeen from 2000-2004. Upon her return to Cameroon, Eneke becamean Assistant Lecturer at the University of Buea. ‘Thetechniques learned in the course of my research arevery important in my career. Teaching at theuniversity has been a great opportunity for me toserve my country and to contribute towards nationbuilding.’Dr Nelson Ntonifor was a Commonwealth Fellow atthe University of Reading in 2000, investigating theidentification and characteristics of pesticides. ‘MyCommonwealth Fellowship made an incredible,irreversible positive change in my university teachingcareer and also broadened my understanding of theA chameleon, one of many animal species native to Cameroonglobal university community.’ During his Fellowship,he found that colleagues at Reading were veryapproachable, ‘greatly facilitated knowledgeacquisition and their sharing of invaluableexperiences has made me more competitiveinternationally’.Nathalie Mongue Me-Nsope, who was awarded aCommonwealth Scholarship for an MA in WomenStudies at the University of York in 2003, is currentlypursuing a doctoral degree in Agricultural Economicsat Michigan State University in the USA, specialisingin gender justice and environmental change. Shepreviously worked for the Gender and Developmentdivision of INSER, a development consultancy firmin Cameroon. Nathalie says ‘The time spent at theUniversity of York and in particular at the Centre forWomen’s Studies was the beginning of a veryimportant journey in my life. While at York, I workedwith great professors, who heard me, understoodmy interest, and provided me with guidance on howto acquire the skills necessary to accomplish mycareer goals’.Dr Christiana Abonge neatly summarises the impactof her award: ‘Commonwealth Scholarships play avital role in enhancing academic careers indeveloping countries’. She was awarded aCommonwealth Scholarship to study a PhD inGender and Microenterprise Development at theUniversity of Leeds in 2004; her research ‘exploredthe contributions of enterprise support programmes,including microcredit and women’s smallbusinesses, to poverty alleviation, which is one ofthe Millennium Development Goals’. Aftercompleting her PhD in 2010, Christiana has obtaineda position as an Assistant Lecturer in the Departmentof Women and Gender Studies at the Universityof Buea.Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon© John Friel © Marco SchmidtFebruary 201119

The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UnitedKingdom (CSC) is responsible for managing Britain’scontribution to the Commonwealth Scholarship andFellowship Plan (CSFP).The CSC supports around 700 awards annually. Awards arefunded by UKaid from the Department for InternationalDevelopment (for developing Commonwealth countries) and theForeign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Business,Innovation and Skills and the Scottish Government (for developedCommonwealth countries), in conjunction with UK universities. The CSCalso nominates UK citizens for scholarships to study in otherCommonwealth countries under the CSFP.The CSC makes available seven types of award:· Scholarships for PhD research· Scholarships for Master’s study· Shared Scholarships with UK universities in support of Master’s programmes· Academic Fellowships for staff serving in developing country universities· Split-site Scholarships for PhD students to spend up to one year in the UK· Professional Fellowships for mid-career professionals in developing countries· Distance Learning Scholarships for developing country students to study UKMaster’s degree courses while living in their own countriesThe CSC is a non-departmental public body in its own right, and members areappointed in line with the Code of Practice of the Office of the Commissioner forPublic Appointments. The Commission’s secretariat is provided by the Associationof Commonwealth Universities; financial management and welfare support forscholars is provided by the British Council.The CSFP is an international programme under which member governments offerscholarships and fellowships to citizens of other Commonwealth countries. The Planwas established at the first Commonwealth education conference in 1959 and isreviewed by ministers at their triennial meetings – the only scholarship scheme inthe world to receive such high-level recognition.www.cscuk.org.ukCommonwealth Scholarships News is published for information purposes only and no liability is accepted for its contents by the CSC or by any contributor to it. While all reasonable efforts havebeen made to ensure that the information contained therein was correct at the time of compilation, it should not be regarded as definitive and no responsibility is accepted for the inclusion oromission of any particular item. The opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the CSC.This magazine is printed using vegetable-based inks on Ecoplex paper, made from 100% post-consumer waste fibre to Blue Angel standard RAL UZ-14. It is chlorine free, uses no optical brightenersand has one of the lowest energy requirements and smallest carbon footprints of any coated paper.