The CSC's distance learning scholarships programme has been boosted by £1.8 million of extra funding that will support up to 200 new scholarships in the fields of education and health. British universities are now being asked to bid for their share of the scholarships, which will all be based in Africa.

Funding for the new awards was announced by Secretary of State for International Development, Hilary Benn, as part of the Government's continued support for education and training initiatives in Africa following last year's G8 summit. It represents a significant expansion of the CSC's distance learning programme. Since it began in 2003 the programme has already supported over 500 students, accounting for over a third of current CSC award holders. Further information is available here.

Over 250 new scholars and fellows attended a Welcome Programme at Westminster Central Hall, on 13 November 2006. The occasion provided an opportunity for award-holders to meet Commissioners, Secretariat & British Council staff at first hand, as well as their peers from across the Commonwealth. Laurence Haddad, Director of the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, opened the morning session with a speech on the theme of Capacity Building. Afternoon sessions were on a variety of themes including Brain Drain, Corruption and, Science and Technology.

The Evening Reception took place at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and was attended by representatives from a wide range of Commonwealth organisations, High Commissions, governments and universities. The Lord Triesman of Tottenham, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Dr Kim Howells Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office both addressed the gathering.

Photographs from the event will appear here shortly.

The Commission has organised several thematic events for members of the Public Health, Education, Governance, Environment and Agriculture networks. Events provide scholars and fellows with opportunities to discuss their studies with other award holders and make connections across the Commonwealth. Further Network events are planned for 2007.

We are hoping to start a Science & Technology Network in the near future, and would welcome expressions of interest from scholars/alumni who would consider joining. We would also like you to suggest useful topics/areas for the new network to cover. We would like to point out that, as this is a broad area, we would prefer the network to tackle areas of relevance to all members (eg communicating with the media, IT issues) rather than being subject-based. Please contact scholarnews@cscuk.org.uk with your views.

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The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK has been asked by representatives of the Canadian government to convey the following important information:

• Due to a recent decision from the Government of Canada, Canada is not in a position to commit grant and contribution funding related to its international academic relations program, including Commonwealth scholarships to foreign students, beyond June 21, 2007.
• Consequently, the traditional cycle for announcing and considering Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program's award applications for the school year 2007/08 WILL NOT take place.
• No formal decision has been taken yet about the fate of the Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program beyond June 21, 2007.

As a result, CSCUK will no longer be accepting applications for scholarships tenable in Canada in 2007/08.

For further information, please contact csfpout@acu.ac.uk

This website will be updated as soon as CSCUK receive any further information from the Canadian government.

Before the game, pristine new shirts were presented to each member of the Commonwealth Scholars' team. However, within minutes of the match starting it seemed that these shirts might be the most professional aspect of the 'Commies'' performance. With the temperature in the 30s there was nowhere for the fielders to hide, so it was no surprise that the Rhodes scholars chose to bat.

Despite some miserly swing bowling from Australian PhD scholar Peter Munro, the Rhodes openers cruised passed 50, with Herman Swart looking especially strong. However, Phil Killicoat missed a straight ball and the Commonwealth Scholars' spirits were lifted; when Punniamoorthy 'Ravi' Ravirajan bowled Swart soon after, there was a sense that the fielding side could take control. Ravi, an alumnus of the CSFP, completed his PhD at Imperial College in 2004 and was in the UK for a short fellowship at his old college. Unfortunately, Ravi's bowling spell was even shorter, as an injury to his shoulder meant he could only complete two overs.

This twist caused problems for the Commonwealth Scholars, allowing John Good and David Winterton to attack some less experienced bowling, and the game once again ebbed in favour of the 'Rhodies'. However, with captain Tanzil Rahman's mantra - "get your body behind the ball!"- ringing in their ears, the 'Commies' fielded with huge commitment throughout. Rahman, a research scholar at Oxford, bowled 5 overs of accurate wrist-spin, and Munro's second spell was an impressive display of reverse swing bowling.

With Good dismissed by Munroe, and Winterton retiring on passing 50, the Rhodes team finished on 185 for three. A daunting target, which meant scoring at more than 7 runs per over, but the opening batsmen never let their opponents dominate and kept the score moving well. When Munro was out, caught off Winterton for 13, the total had already passed 50 and a solid platform had been laid.

Vanderpump, who was assisted by some unconventional boundary fielding, soon retired and Ravi was out cheaply. This briefly gave the initiative to Rhodes, but it was once again seized back by Rahman and Iqbal. Both men mixed sensible shot selection with aggressive hitting to compile a healthy partnership, which was only ended when Iqbal was run out by a brilliant throw from Solomon. When Martyn Moore was bowled by the same scholar shortly after, the target of 186 still looked a long way off.

Until, that is, Paul Bonnitcha proved that Australians do not know when they are beaten. Bonnitcha, studying Chemistry at Oxford, had kept a relatively low profile in the match up to this point, but he now stroked 5 crisp boundaries in a vital cameo of 26. His dismissal, bowled by Good, left the Commonwealth Scholars needing a further 15 runs off the last three overs.

Kim Farrant, an Australian MSc. scholar, was brilliantly caught first ball, and Adam Creighton, also of Australia and Oxford, followed soon after. The tension was building as Timothy Phakathi, a South African Sociologist studying at Green College, Oxford, made his way out to join his captain. It was Phakathi's first cricket match, and supporters of the Commonwealth side were disconcerted to see him receiving coaching as he prepared to take strike. However, with the tension mounting, Phakathi got enough bat on ball to score a run, and it was left to Rahman to finish the job. Rahman, keeping cool while others melted with heat and nerves, had played a captain's innings of 45 not out; it was fitting that he should strike a boundary to seal a cherished victory.

Despite the closeness of the contest, the Corinthian spirit prevailed, and it was an event to savour for both sets of scholars. Musings on 'what might have been' were shared over a welcome barbecue and drinks at Linacre College, with certain participants immediately looking forward to next year's fixture.

Special thanks should go to the match umpires, Francis King and Andrew Bell, as well as all those who helped organise proceedings on and off the field (particularly Tanzil, and Anna O'Flynn of the CSC Secretariat). As one scholar commented, "it was a beautiful day for all of us". Here's to many more!

Following on from the seminar held in March at Cumberland Lodge, the Commission is pleased to announce the launch of its fifth Professional Network for those former and current Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows working in the field of Agriculture and Rural Development. We are also pleased to welcome Paul Smith, formerly of Imperial College, London at Wye, as the Network Co-ordinator. Mr Smith's main role will be to produce four e-newsletters annually, the first of which will be distributed to network members on 1st August 2006. He welcomes contributions to the newsletters which can be sent to agriculture@cscuk.ac.uk. To sign up to the network please go to https://secure.acu.ac.uk/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/agriculture and follow the instructions.

Jessica Murray (Commonwealth Scholar at the University of York) is organising a fundraising event with a fellow PhD student in support of CAMFED (Campaign for Female Education). CAMFED is a charity that works to promote education for young girls in Africa, seeking to alleviate a whole range of socio-economic problems in Africa such as poverty, AIDS and gender violence.

The event will take the form of a cheese and wine evening at Bishopthrope Palace in York on Saturday 13 May from 6pm onwards, and it will include an art auction (so far about 90 pieces that have been donated by artists). Entertainment will be provided by a jazz band. All proceeds from the evening will go to CAMFED. For more information on the project, visit the website: www.yorkfreedomauction.org.uk

Shah Md Reduwan Billah (Commonwealth Scholarship PhD student in Colour Chemistry at the School of Textiles, Herriott Watt University) has been making research developments that could have a major impact in the textile industry.

Reduwan is working on the "molecular modelling, synthesis and application of photochromic dyes on protein and related substrates". The research has involved synthesizing a number of water-soluble photochromic acid dyes, which can be directly used for the colouration of protein (eg wool, silk, leather) and polyamide (eg nylon) materials, avoiding a more complex process. The dyed materials remain the same as they are before dyeing, but change colour under sunlight or UV light exposure. The research has also led to a method where certain dyed materials show photochromic colour change from one colour to another, which has generated a great deal of interest in the field of textile colouration.

Heriot-Watt University has filed a patent application on Reduwan's research (Water-soluble spirooxazine dyes and their method of application on suitable substrates), and he has presented his research findings at a number of international conferences, including the 4th International Symposium on Photochromic Systems, Molecules and Devices (France, 2004) and the American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists International Conference and Exhibition (USA, 2005), XX1st International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) Symposium on Photochemistry (Japan, 2006).

Dr.Munish Puri (Commonwealth Fellow at the University of Oxford, 2003), recently completed an Australia Asia Fellowship award at the Institute for Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, Australia. The one-year fellowship (September 2004 - September 2005) supported research in the area of structural biology of proteins, based on Dr Puri's initial training in the area of protein structure determination during his Commonwealth fellowship at the University of Oxford.

Rajesh Chandrakar (Commonwealth Professional Fellow at Middlesex University in 2005) has had his work recognised at a national level in India. In December 2005 he was the recipient of the "SATKAL Young Librarian Award" for 2005. SATKAL is a trust promoting the advancement of librarianship, sponsoring students/librarian professionals, as well as organising publications and events of professional interest. Rajesh is currently Scientific & Technical Officer at the Information and Library Network Centre, UGC Ahmedabad.

Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Great Park was the venue for two CSC Seminars on the topics of 'Agriculture' and 'the Role of Global Policy and International Cooperation', 24 - 26 March 2006. The events were attended by nearly 40 Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows as well as members of the Commission and Secretariat staff. Professor Jonathan Kydd, Professor of Agricultural Development Economics, Imperial College gave the keynote speech to both groups on Friday evening addressing 'The role of agriculture and international regulation in poverty reduction in the least developed economies'.

Over the weekend those attending the Agriculture event had either the opportunity to present their research, or for those still at an early stage of their studies, share ideas about how they plan to take their proposals further. Subjects discussed ranged from forestry and fisheries to fertilisers and fermented feed. Mr Mark Holderness from CAB International spoke about the dissemination of information to those working in agriculture, a topic relevant to all involved in the CSC scheme, who face the question "how do I put my findings into practice upon returning home?" CSC split-site alumnus Dr Catherine Muthuri (Chairperson of the Botany Department Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology) was able to join the weekend's proceedings and share an encouraging account about how she has been able to build upon her academic findings and scholarship experience at the University of Nottingham.

The Global Policy seminar aimed to explore major issues, such as environmental change, governance, and trade and security, which need to be tackled at a global level and attendees discussed practical solutions from the perspective of several different Commonwealth countries. Daisy Cooper, the Acting Head of the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit, introduced the theme of International Cooperation and led a discussion on "Picking up the Commonwealth", considering how the Commonwealth could be used to push forward the agenda on global issues. The conference also looked at many of these issues more specifically; scholars and fellows gave presentations on a variety of issues, including Intellectual Property Law, Ecotourism, Global Warming, Drug Trafficking and International Technology Transfer.

In a format now familiar at CSC network seminars, and with the assistance of Commission Chair, Professor Trudy Harpham, four participants laid out their manifestos and campaigned for the post of UK Minister for International Development, in response to the latest DFID white consultation paper "Eliminating World Poverty". Much debate and several re-counts later the successful candidate was finally elected!

Overall, participants had the opportunity to discuss their research interests and network with other scholars and fellows, from a broad range of academic backgrounds and countries across the Commonwealth. Some of the attendees also had a brief opportunity to greet HRH Queen Elizabeth II after attending a service at the Royal Chapel on Sunday morning.

The past year has shown increasing recognition by funding bodies that higher education has an important role to play in fulfilling the international development agenda. Examples of new initiatives and research funding schemes were covered at this one-day conference co-sponsored by the Association of Commonwealth Universities and the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK, with the aim of providing a concise, yet comprehensive, briefing of current opportunities. The seminar brought together representatives from funding bodies, academics from across the Commonwealth as well as research office and other administrative staff from universities in the UK and overseas. The presenters included staff from organisations such as the British Academy, the Wellcome Trust, the Economic and Social Research Council and the British Council and included information on new and existing funding programmes for collaborative research and fellowships. Links to the conference programme, presentations and the respective websites can be found by going to http://www.acu.ac.uk/resman and clicking on events and seminars.

The second Education Colloquium was held on 16-17 March at the University of Nottingham. The event was organised and hosted by Professor John Morgan, Commissioner and Education Network Co-ordinator and his colleagues at the UNESCO Centre for Comparative Education Research. Dr Azeem Badroodien from the University of Nottingham put together a varied and interesting programme during which Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows, alongside other PhD researchers, including a former Commonwealth Scholar, were able to present and discuss their work with colleagues. Topics included The Challenges of E-learning initiatives in African Universities, The Effects of Gender-Specific Interventions in the Quest for Education for All, Prevailing Interaction Patterns in Pre-primary Classrooms and Why Public Policy fails to create a Substantial Private Higher Education System in Bangladesh. For further information and abstracts please see the link below.

Further information regarding the CSC Education E-Forum is available on the UNESCO CCER website http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/education/centres/uccer/ Limited numbers of hard copies of the Publication from the first Education Colloquium in June 2004 are now available. Please contact Elizabeth Martin: e.martin@acu.ac.uk at the ACU for information.

The CSC Governance Network celebrated its first birthday with the second annual Governance Seminar, held at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies (ICS), London on 11th - 13th March 2006. The seminar, organised by the CSC in association with the ICS, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Foundation, was attended by 37 award holders, staff from ACU, ICS and Commissioners as well as a number of representatives from organisations such as the Commonwealth Policy Studies Unit and the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative.

Presentations and discussions were organised into 6 sessions, starting with Governance in the 21st Century Commonwealth, on Saturday afternoon. Other sessions included, The Challenges of Licit and Illicit Resources, Engaging with the Commonwealth, Commerce, Communication and Diplomacy in the Information Age, Strengthening Capacity for Development and Faith Based Approaches to Accountable Governance. Commonwealth Scholars made presentations of their research in each of the sessions, which were all rounded off with a period of group discussion, with questions being directed at the presenters. Feedback from the event suggests that all participants felt the seminar to be a valuable experience. Further information can be found at (ICS Weblink)

The event was organised to coincide with Commonwealth Day on Monday 13th March. As the Seminar came to a close, a group of 35 Commonwealth Scholars and Fellows travelled to Westminster Abbey for the Observance for Commonwealth Day in the presence of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, a ceremony which will stay in the memories of all who attended.

Scholars' presentations included the following:

• Judical Activism in Bangladesh: Agency to Improve Governance through Establishing Constitutionalism and Justice (Ridwanul Hoque, Commonwealth Scholar, School of Oriental and African Studies)
• From Policy to Field: How Do We Translate People's Ideas of Water in Governance Activities? Insights from the Rural Areas of the Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria (Emmanuel Akpabio, Commonwealth Scholar, Lancaster University)
• Trust and Its Role in E-Commerce: An Investigation with Emphasis on Cross Cultural Differences (Musfiq Mannan Choudhury, Commonwealth Scholar, university of Durham)
• Government Informatics: E-Government Implementation in Kenya (David Gichoya, Commonwealth Scholar, Loughborough University)
• Language, Gender and Power: A Study of Gendered Discourses in the Cameroonian Parliament (Lem Atanga, Commonwealth Scholar, Lancaster University)
• Brain Drain, Can Everybody be Happy? The Case of Nurses Leaving Swaziland for the UK (Sabelo Dlamini, Commonwealth Scholar, London School of hygiene and Tropical Medicine)
• Gender, Violence, Female Empowerment and Development in South Africa and Zimbabwe (Jessica Murray, Commonwealth Scholar, University of York)
• Religion and Governance: Faith Based Organisations as Stake-holders in Local Governance in Ghana (Yaw Sarkodie Agyemang, Commonwealth Scholar, University of Birmingham)