More young people will have the chance to benefit from life-changing scholarships, thanks to the Fijian Government's contribution to the Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarship scheme.

Fiji is the first Pacific country to contribute to the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan (CSFP) Endowment Fund, which funds these scholarships.

This contribution means even more scholarships will be available from 2019, supporting more scholars like Ahnivar Peralta from Belize, who gained his MSc Climate Change at the University of the South Pacific thanks a CSFP scholarship, and is now contributing towards reducing impact of climate change in his home country.

The Hon Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, Fijian Attorney-General, said: 'Fiji is leading the world's fight against climate change as current president of COP23, bringing the entire international community together in the same canoe to reduce global warming and build resilience in the communities most affected by climate events. Empowering our young people – our most energetic and inspiring generation of climate warriors – is key to protecting the planet that they will inherit, and these scholarships will help advance this critical mission.

'This step is a natural fit with the Fijian Government's unyielding commitment to two core causes: curbing climate change and investing in education. We're proud to become the latest country to demonstrate its commitment to this important pan-Commonwealth initiative through the CSFP Endowment Fund.'

Dr Joanna Newman, ACU Chief Executive and Secretary General, added: 'Over the past year, we've been working closely with our members in Fiji, leading to some incredible outcomes – including the Commonwealth Climate Resilience Network and the new Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships, announced by The Duke of Sussex this week.

'This contribution to the CSFP by the Fijian Government is further testament to the importance of our work and will ensure these opportunities are available to more young people for generations to come. The Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships help nurture the next generation of leaders, who have the power to effect positive change across the Commonwealth and create solutions to the shared challenges we face, such as climate change – both in their home and host countries.'

The announcement comes in the same week as the Royal Visit to Fiji, where The Duke of Sussex announced that four Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships for postgraduate study in climate resilience will be made available to students from small island developing states in the Pacific and Caribbean. The University of the South Pacific and Fiji National University will both host students from the Caribbean, and the University of the West Indies will host students from the Pacific.

These new scholarships also help fulfil the aims and objectives of the Commonwealth Climate Resilience Network, which was launched at the 20th Conference of Commonwealth Education Ministers (CCEM) in Fiji this February, by ensuring that subsequent generations have the international networks, knowledge, and skills they need to develop resilience strategies in the face of climate change.

More information

• Find out more about Queen Elizabeth Commonwealth Scholarships
• Read more about the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan
• Join the Commonwealth Climate Resilience Network

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