Category: Press Releases

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 December 2023.

The British Government announced today the 51 winners of 2024 Marshall Scholarships – the largest class in the history of the scholarship program.

Washington, DC (11 December 2023) – The British Government announced today the 51 winners of 2024 Marshall Scholarships, the largest class in the seven decades-running scholarship program. The recipients, considered among America’s most accomplished undergraduate university students and recent graduates, were chosen following an intense selection process and will begin graduate studies at top universities across the United Kingdom next year.

The Marshall Scholarship program was created by an Act of British Parliament in 1953 as a living memorial to former US Secretary of State General George C. Marshall and the USA for assistance under the Marshall Plan. The scholarship allows for up to three years of graduate study in any academic topic at any university in the UK, home to 17 of the top 100 universities in the world.

Dame Karen Pierce, British Ambassador to the USA, said:

Nearly 70 years after the first group of American students journeyed across the Atlantic, the Marshall Scholarship program remains an integral part of the UK-US relationship. The British Government is excited to welcome this diverse and incredibly talented group of students to our shores, who embody the spirit and values that have animated the bilateral relationship.

Twelve scholars were selected in the original 1954 class (eight men and four women) becoming one of the first co-educational national scholarships in UK history and 21 years before the British Sex Discrimination Act of 1975 banned the exclusion of women in education. Since that time, over 2,200 American men and women have received graduate degrees through the Marshall Scholarship before going on to play leading roles in American society.

Among this year’s class are aspiring diplomats, doctors, fighter pilots and scientists. Half of the 2024 class will pursue STEM-related degrees, including several who will study issues relating to the ethics and advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The focus on attracting America’s top young scientific minds reflects the UK Government’s effort to transform Britain into a ‘Science & Technology Superpower’ by 2030. Last month, the UK hosted the first-ever global AI Summit, which saw 28 nations reach a landmark agreement to collaborate on the challenges and opportunities of AI. Earlier this year, the UK and US also agreed to a new economic partnership known as the ‘Atlantic Declaration’, pledging joint collaboration and investment in developing advanced technologies like AI, quantum and 6G.

John Raine, Chair of the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission, said:

The Marshall Scholarship has a proud history of helping to drive scientific innovation. From Ray Dolby’s revolutionary advancements in audio engineering to Dr. Dan Barouch’s critical role in spearheading the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, Marshall Scholars are continuing to push the scientific boundaries of what’s possible.

The program received 1006 applications this year, from candidates representing academic institutions across the United States. 34 US universities across 21 US States and the District of Columbia are represented, nearly a third of which are state or public universities and military service academies. Mississippi State University, Washington & Lee University (VA) and the University of Hawaii at Hilo will send Marshall Scholars to the UK for the first time ever. Awards were extended to scholars representing the University of Denver and the University of Mississippi for the first time in two decades.

The program is principally funded by the British Government, but also benefits from generous support through partnership arrangements with world-leading British academic institutions, allowing winners to pursue graduate degrees in almost any academic subject at any university in the UK. The 2024 class will take up their studies at 18 different institutions across the UK starting next September, ranging from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to Loughborough University in Leicestershire.

The scholarship program also continues to receive generous support from the Association of Marshall Scholars (AMS), the official alumni organisation of the Marshall Scholarship. The British Schools & Universities Foundation (BUSF) also provides generous support and funds for a scholarship.

The full list of 2024 winners are:

About the Marshall Scholarship

Named for Secretary of State George C. Marshall, the Marshall Scholarship Program began in 1953 as a gesture of gratitude to the people of the United States for the assistance that the UK received after World War II under the Marshall Plan. Since that time, it has remained uniquely positioned among national scholarships for its prestige and scope: offering talented young Americans the chance to study any academic subject at UK universities of their choice for up to three years. This has given rise to an unprecedented breadth of expertise in almost every academic field, producing numerous university presidents, six Pulitzer Prize winners, one Nobel Laureate, fourteen MacArthur Fellows, two-academy-Award nominees, two US Supreme Court Justices and a NASA Astronaut.

With over 2,200 scholarships awarded to date, Marshall Scholars are leading the conversation and direction of some of the most critical issues of our time. Notable winners of the scholarship include:

• Supreme Court Associate Justices Stephen Breyer (ret.) and Neil Gorsuch
• William Burns, Director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency
• Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Anne Applebaum, Tom Friedman, Jeffrey Gettleman and Dan Yergin
• Dr. Dan Barouch, Leading COVID-19 vaccine researcher and William Bosworth Castle Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
• Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific, White House National Security Council; Nominee for Deputy Secretary of State at US State Department
• Reid Hoffman, Philanthropist and founder of social networking platform LinkedIn
• Lisa Cook, Economist and currently the first African-American woman and first person of color to sit on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
• Congressmen Derek Kilmer (WA-6th CD) and Gabe Amo (RI-1st CD)
• Kris Kobach, Attorney General of the State of Kansas
• Jocelyn Benson, Secretary of State for the State of Michigan
• Anne McClain, NASA Astronaut who served aboard the International Space Station in 2018
• Roger Tsien, 2008 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry
• Ray Dolby, Founder of Dolby Laboratories and 1997 winner of the National Medal of Technology and Innovation
• Rebecca F. Kuang, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and The Poppy War book trilogy

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 December 2023.

A Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office spokesperson gave a statement following the Hong Kong District Council elections on December 10.

In local elections yesterday, many voices from Hong Kong’s District Councils were excluded from participating. Meaningful opposition in Hong Kong’s electoral system is being eliminated.

We strongly urge the Hong Kong Government to uphold its international commitments and respect the civil rights and freedoms of Hong Kong citizens.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 December 2023.

At an FCDO stakeholder event to mark Human Rights Day and the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Lord Ahmad gave a statement.

Lord Ahmad opened his address by reflecting on the importance of this landmark anniversary, and how, 75 years ago, the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was a bold statement of intent and a formidable responsibility for the generations to follow.

The Minister quoted Martin Luther King Jr: ‘We are not makers of history, we are made by history’ – and reflected on the role the UDHR has played in protecting the vulnerable and cementing fundamental freedoms.

Lord Ahmad stressed that with the terrible challenges the world faces today – humanitarian crises, conflicts and more – we must carry the torch handed to us by those pioneers 75 years ago and do all we can to protect life and dignity.

Lord Ahmad discussed the global human rights landscape. On the deeply shocking recent events in Israel and Gaza, he raised the need to seek peace and a pathway to end this conflict, as well as avoid regional escalation. He also stressed the urgent need to ensure daily aid gets into Gaza as quickly as possible to tackle the humanitarian crisis, and noted that the UK has contributed another £30 million towards this.

Lord Ahmad also highlighted reports of appalling sexual violence committed by Hamas, and emphasised that reports must be fully investigated and documented, the perpetrators held accountable and survivors supported. He underlined the UK’s commitment to a viable Two-State Solution that must be delivered to provide peace, justice and security to Israelis and Palestinians alike.

On Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine, Lord Ahmad emphasised that the UK is determined to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice, and survivors of some of the most hideous abuses are supported. He explained how UK funding has helped deploy Mobile Justice Teams to the scenes of potential war crimes, trained more than 150 judges and delivered 30,000 forensic medical kits for police officers investigating conflict-related sexual violence.

Lord Ahmad also gave an overview of the UK’s work to champion thematic human rights, including chairing the first High-Level Meeting of the International alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, to hosting the Global Conference for the International Day for the Universal Access to Information and continuing to grow the International Religious Freedom of Belief Alliance, as we promote the right to freedom of religion or belief for all.

Lord Ahmad underscored the UK’s unwavering support for human rights defenders who find their lives and livelihoods at risk due to their courageous efforts and announced the UK’s renewed funding commitment to the Lifeline Embattled CSO Assistance Fund, to support civil society organisations and human rights defenders in crisis.

The Minister also highlighted the recently published International Development White Paper, which sets out the UK’s vision for supporting open societies, with accountable, effective and inclusive institutions around the world over the next seven years.

Lord Ahmad closed by repeating the importance of the universality of human rights and called on everyone to come together in a spirit of unity ensure that the promises of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are fulfilled always and everywhere.

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 December 2023.

Over 2,000 children around Washington, DC received a free copy of the beloved British book Paddington thanks to a partnership between the British Embassy, HarperCollins and Washington, DC Public Schools to promote early literacy.

This year marks the 65th anniversary of the publication of A Bear called Paddington. The story, a now timeless classic in children’s literature known for its themes of positivity, inclusivity, and kindness, was written in 1958 by Michael Bond, a former BBC cameraman and Royal Air Force veteran who served in the Second World War. Since the book’s original publication, Paddington has become a cult favourite around the world and an iconic work of children’s literature – spurring 28 books, tv shows, toys, statues, and two Paddington feature films, with a third currently in production.

As part of the UK’s efforts to support early literacy, promote British Soft Power and world-leading literature in the United States, the British Embassy in Washington celebrated the book’s anniversary by partnering with publisher HarperCollins and Washington, DC Public Schools to distribute copies of the book Paddington to 2,500 public-school students in and around Washington, DC Donations were sent to 10 U.S. Title 1 schools, with books going to students aged between 3 and 9 years old. Title I is a US federal funding program for education used to help ensure that children, regardless of family income, can acquire an equitable and quality education that will allow students to become academically proficient.

To mark the occasion, on Monday, 11 December His Majesty’s Ambassador to the United States, Dame Karen Pierce, sat down with Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser to read a copy of Paddington to 150 students at Dorothy Heights Elementary School. Ambassador Pierce and Mayor Bowser were joined on-stage by Chancellor of DC Public Schools, Dr. Lewis Ferebee and Principal Masi Preston, of Dorothy Heights Elementary School.

British Ambassador to the United States, Dame Karen Pierce –

It was a pleasure to join Mayor Bowser, Chancellor Ferebee and Principal Preston to read Paddington Bear to students at Dorothy I. Height Elementary School. Paddington’s lessons of kindness and resilience remain an inspiration to children around the world as we mark the book’s 65th anniversary this year. The British Embassy is delighted to donate Paddington books to over 2,000 students at 10 public schools around DC, in partnership with HarperCollins, so that a whole new generation of students can enjoy this iconic British story. I was delighted to receive a welcome present from one of the students and am proudly wearing my Monarchs wrist band to Christmas parties this evening.