Ambassadorial Scholarships is one of the Rotary Foundation's oldest and best-known programme and was founded in 1947. Since then, more than 40,000 men and women from about 100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices. Today it is one of the world's largest privately funded international scholarships programmes.
The purpose of the Ambassadorial Scholarships programme is to further international understanding and friendly relations among people of different countries and geographical areas.
The programme sponsors academic year scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students as well as for qualified professionals pursuing vocational studies.
While abroad, scholars serve as goodwill ambassadors to the host country and give presentations about their homelands to Rotary clubs and other groups. Upon returning home, scholars share with Rotarians and others the experiences that led to a greater understanding of their host country.
The aim is for the scholars to put the knowledge and experience that they gain from their scholarship to use as they progress through their lives and careers for the greater benefit of others.
Because of the educational centres for excellence that we have within our District such as Cambridge and the University of East Anglia there are always a number of Ambassadorial Scholars coming to study here and this year the District will be funding a Scholar to study abroad for a year
Under the Future Vision programme Ambassadorial Scholars were phased out and replaced by Rotary Scholars
This year we had a visit from not just one but two Rotary Scholars, Emily Hoover from Colorado Springs and Agrieneth Masule from Gabarone Botswana. Both are studying in the educational field at Cambridge with a view to enhancing education in their respective spheres when they return after their studies.
The pictures shows our two scholars with PDGPeter Harris the "techie" for the day