LUANDA, Angola, March 2, 2016/APO (African Press Organization)/ —
On Tuesday 23 February 2016, the British Embassy in Luanda signed a Chevening partnership with BP offering up to eight jointly funded scholarships for Angolan scholars to study Masters Degrees in the UK over the next two academic years. The official signing was witnessed by the Lord Mayor of the City of London, Jeffrey Mountevans and the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Angola, Baroness Northover.
Chevening is the UK Government’s global scholarship programme, funded by the Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) and partner organisations. The programme makes awards to outstanding scholars with leadership potential from around the world to study fully funded postgraduate courses at UK universities.
BP has been in Angola for more than 25 years. In the 1990s BP acquired interests in four deep-water blocks offshore Angola. In 2011 BP acquired interests in five new deep and ultra-deep water blocks in the Kwanza and Benguela basins, making Angola one of the most important assets in BP’s exploration and production portfolio.
The British Ambassador to Angola, John Dennis, expressed his excitement about the joint Chevening-BP scholarship: “I am delighted to see BP come onboard to support the British Government’s illustrious Chevening Scholarship in Angola. BPs contribution will help to strenghten the healthy ties between the UK and Angola even further and will provide greater access to UK Education for future decision-makers and opinion-formers from Angola.”
Paulo Pizarro, Vice President for Communications and External Relations representing BP said ‘’ It is a great honour and satisfaction that on behalf of BP I will be signing this agreement with the Foreign Office. This will contribute to the growth and professional development of future leaders in Angola and this is more important than ever now that we are supporting this to build capability to boost domestic production and sustain economic growth in Angola’’
