The 2022 United Nations progress report on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 5, which focuses on gender equality, indicated that only 20% of jobs in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) sector are held by women worldwide, while only 16.5% of women inventors are associated with a patent.
Meanwhile, in ASEAN member countries (AMS), at the tertiary education level, only 19.3% of women obtain degrees in STEM, compared to 39.8% by men. This is despite girls outperforming boys in mathematics and science at the primary and secondary education level.
In 2019, women researchers made up less than 30% worldwide while only 30% of female students choose STEM-related fields in higher education, according to a fact sheet distributed by the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) on Women In Science.
This is one of the reasons why the UK, in partnership with the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) Secretariat, is offering scholarships for Women in STEM under the ASEAN-UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’ Education (ASEAN-UK SAGE) programme. In its second year running, the programme demonstrates commitment by the UK to empower more women in Southeast Asia and Timor-Leste in order to overcome barriers in the STEM fields, and paving the way for women to play bigger roles in these sectors. Eleven women from the 10 ASEAN countries and Timor-Leste will have the opportunity to pursue a Master’s degree at either the University of Manchester or the University of Warwick – the latter being the institution that Malaysians are eligible to apply for under this initiative, in the United Kingdom.
Thus, if you are a woman from any ASEAN member state or Timor-Leste with a bachelor’s degree in any of the eligible STEM subjects from any university outside of the UK, you are eligible to apply for this fully-funded scholarship for a one-year program at any of these two universities.
ASEAN-UK SAGE Women In STEM Scholarships at the University of Warwick
Applications for the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women In STEM scholarships at the University of Warwick, UK are now open for the semester starting in September 2025. Five scholarships will be awarded to eligible applicants from the following countries:-
- Malaysia
- Brunei Darussalam
- Cambodia
- Lao PDR
- Myanmar
- The Philippines
- Singapore
- Viet Nam
- Timor-Leste
The courses that are eligible for this scholarship are as follows:-
- MSc Analytical Sciences & Instrumentation
- MSc Applied Artificial Intelligence
- MSc Behavioural & Data Science
- MSc Behavioural & Economic Science (Science Track only)
- MSc Cyber Security Engineering
- MSc Cyber Security Management
- MSc Diagnostics, Data & Digital Health
- MSc Engineering Business Management
- MSc Global Decarbonisation & Climate Change (Science route)
- MSc Healthcare Operational Management
- MSc Humanitarian Engineering
- MSc Humanitarian Engineering with Sustainability
- MSc Humanitarian Engineering with Management
- MSc Mental Health & Wellbeing
- MSc Polymer Chemistry
- MSc Psychology by Research
- MSc Supply Chain & Logistics Management
- MSc Sustainable Automotive Electrification
The deadline to apply for courses at the University of Warwick is on 17 April 2025, while the deadline to apply for the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM scholarships is on 24 April 2025. For more information, check the University of Warwick scholarship page here.
ASEAN-UK SAGE Women In STEM Scholarships at the University of Manchester
Six scholarships are available at the University of Manchester under the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarship initiative, for applicants from the following countries:-
- Brunei Darussalam
- Cambodia
- Indonesia
- Lao PDR
- Myanmar
- The Philippines
- Singapore
- Thailand
- Timor-Leste
The courses that can be applied for at the University of Manchester under this programme are as follows:-
- MSc Precision Medicine
- MSc Medical & Molecular Virology
- MSc Clinical Biochemistry
- MSc Molecular Pathology of Cancer
- MSc Clinical Immunology
- MSc Health Data Science
- MSc Audiology
- MSc Pollution & Environmental Control
- MSc REaCT
- MSC Geosciences for Sustainable Energy
- MSc Subsurface Energy Engineering
- MSc Biomaterials
- MSc Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems Management
- MSc Robotics
- MSc Advanced Computer Science
- MSc Artificial Intelligence
- MSc Cyber Security
- MSc Machine Learning
- MSc Software Engineering
The deadline for applications for the scholarships is on 30 April 2025. For more information, check the scholarship page for the University of Manchester here.
What the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women In STEM Scholarship Covers
The ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM Scholarship is a fully funded scholarship that will cover the following expenses for successful recipients:-
- Full tuition fees
- Necessary living costs for 12 months, including accommodation allowance
- Travel costs
- Visa & health coverage fees
- Study-related costs such as essential travels, materials, equipment, thesis printing, and other costs
- Reasonable adjustment costs for scholars with disabilities
- Refund of an IELTS English language test, if needed
For and overview and more information on the scholarships as well as answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), refer to the British Council page here.
By offering the ASEAN-UK SAGE Women in STEM scholarships to citizens of ASEAN member countries and Timor-Leste, the aim is to increase access to disadvantaged women pursuing a career in STEM fields. Consequently, the expectation is that these women in turn will inspire future generations of women and girls to pursue STEM careers and contribute to overall development in the fields of science and technology that will benefit the community and society, and the world in general. If you share similar aspirations and would benefit from a scholarship for a master’s degree in STEM subjects as per above, do apply for these scholarship for your chance to make a real change in the world.
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