49th Annual Report (2007-2008) - Commonwealth Scholarship ...

Communicating with our award holders
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission is committed to developing relationships with and between
Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows, both during and after their awards. This report year saw increased
activity on these fronts, together with preparations for the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth
Scholarship and Fellowship Plan.
Communications
The CSC’s communications strategy is overseen by a
sub-committee, which meets four times per year to
discuss how to maintain and improve relations with
current Scholars and Fellows, alumni and other
stakeholders. Key areas of focus include publications,
events, the CSC website, media relations, and wider
strategy. Key achievements of the sub-committee
during this report year have been the restructuring of
the CSC website, and the coordination of all activities
related to the Commission’s 50th anniversary in 2009.
Alumni programme
The CSC aims to involve alumni as stakeholders in
and ambassadors for the scheme, and continues to
trace and maintain contact through its alumni
programme. During this report year, tracing reports
were undertaken for Botswana, Cameroon, The Gambia,
Ghana, and Nigeria. Three alumni receptions were
also held: the Executive Secretary of the CSC hosted
a reception in Ottawa, Canada, in May 2008; Comm -
issioner Professor Tim Unwin attended a reception
hosted by the British High Commissioner in Accra,
Ghana, also in May 2008; and the Executive
Secretary hosted an informal reception in Nairobi,
Kenya, in September 2008.
about Scholars and alumni, who are actively
encouraged to contribute, and is the CSC’s main form
of regular communication with alumni.
Professional networks
The electronic CSC professional networks bring together
award holders and alumni working and studying in
the same fields. Network members receive regular
electronic newsletters, featuring news, events, public -
ations and funding opportunities, and are able to
communicate with other members. Occas -
ional seminars and conferences are also
held – see ‘Events’ below. 2,318 members,
includ ing current and former Common -
wealth Scholars, are signed up to
networks in the areas of education, public
health, governance, environment, agriculture
and gender. During this report year, a
network on science and technology was
launched, and plans were made to launch
two more on faiths and civil society, and
law.
Events
As part of a range of support and services
provided by the CSC, a programme of events is run
for current Scholars and Fellows based in
the UK. The largest is the
annual Welcome Day, the
culmination of the Welcome
Programme for new award
holders in the UK; over 200
attended in 2007, and had the
opport unity to meet other
Scholars and Fellows and staff
from the Commission’s secret ar -
iat and British Council.
Commonwealth Scholarships News
The Commission produces a regular magazine,
Comm onwealth Scholarships News, which is pub -
lished three times a year and sent to approx im ately
8,200 stakeholders. The magazine includes news
14 Commonwealth Scholarship Commission