The Charles Wallace Burma Trust
The Trust and its contact details
The Charles Wallace Burma Trust, established in 1981, is a registered United Kingdom Charity (No. 289004). The Trust was originally administered by the British Council, and is now run independently, though the British Council remains a trustee and provides support of various kinds both in the UK and in Burma/Myanmar. The Trust is managed day-to-day by a Secretary who reports to a Board of Trustees.
Contact details:
Tim Butchard
Secretary
Charles Wallace Burma Trust
4, Dorville Crescent
London W6 0HJ
+44 (0)20 8741 0836
timbutchard@wallace-trusts.org.uk
The trustees of the Charles Wallace Burma Trust reserve the right to vary the Trust’s activities and the terms governing them.
Activities of the Charles Wallace Burma Trust
The Trust helps Burmese nationals pursue postgraduate study and professional development in the UK. The Board of Trustees has the authority to use the income from the Trust’s funds for Burmese who are resident in Burma/Myanmar to enable them to ‘follow courses of study, research or other educational pursuits which will advance the education of the said individual’. Administrative costs are kept to a minimum, and over 90% of the Trust’s investment income is spent on the Trust’s educational work. This work consists of two Programes: Postgraduate Student Bursaries and a small Visiting Fellowship Programme which enables mid-career professionals to visit the UK for up to three months.
There is no provision for undergraduate training, nor for attending international conferences or short courses.
Postgraduate Student Bursaries
Twice a year, in May and November, awards are granted to individual students undertaking, or about to undertake, postgraduate courses in the UK at Masters or Doctoral level and who need additional funding to help them cover the cost of their studies. The Trust is not primarily a hardship fund and all applicants are required to demonstrate academic excellence as well as financial need. Our maximum grant is £1,500, so applicants must have funds from other sources to cover most of their expenses.
How and when to apply
Applicants must complete the Trust’s
Application Form and submit it, either in hard copy or as an e-mail attachment, to the Secretary of the Trust (see above for contact details). The application should be accompanied by a supporting letter on headed paper from the applicant’s course leader or supervisor in the United Kingdom. Applicants who have not yet commenced their UK courses should show written evidence of acceptance, and full details of their sources of finance, as well as a letter of reference from a senior academic source in Burma/Myanmar. Documents testifying to the applicant’s background and achievements to date should be kept to a minimum. Applicants should not normally apply more than 15 months ahead of their expected completion date. The Trust’s two annual deadlines are 1 May and 1 November. Applicants will be informed of their success or otherwise soon after the meetings of the Board of Trustees in late May and late November.
Visiting Fellowships
What are they, and who can qualify?
Charles Wallace Visiting Fellowships, offered under a partnership between the British Council in Burma and the Charles Wallace Burma Trust in the United Kingdom, enable at least two Burmese professionals to undertake short visits to the UK each year in order to broaden their professional knowledge, skills, and contacts. They are not intended to facilitate formal training.
Eligible candidates
Eligible candidates are Burmese nationals, residing in Burma. They are normally junior or mid-career professionals and practitioners, aged between 30 and 50, holding management posts in the following subject areas:
- Development management and disaster relief
- Environmental management
- Governance and human rights law
- Media production.
At least two fellowships will be awarded annually. Candidates must have a working knowledge of the English language adequate for their requirements. Candidates who have never travelled abroad for study or professional purposes will have a modest advantage in the selection process.
Content, duration, finance and administration
The fellowships will normally consist of two principal activities: firstly, professional familiarization and interaction; and, secondly, study and research. The duration of a fellowship varies from four weeks to a maximum of three months. An all-inclusive monthly stipend of £1,250 is offered by the Trust, also a return economy air fare. There is no provision for course or bench fees.
Administration of Visiting Fellowships
Candidates are obliged: to identify their UK-based partners or host institutions, and to obtain
an invitation letter from them; to complete
an application form; and, if successful,
to make all their own arrangements in the UK. The Charles Wallace Burma Trust in London and the British Council in Burma are only able to offer minimal administrative and pastoral support. However, the British Council will facilitate visa applications, pay stipends in advance, and offer limited briefing.
How to apply
The key preliminary step is that candidates identify a UK-based partner or host institution, and obtain an invitation letter. Secondly, an application form, acquired from the website of the British Council in Burma (
www.britishcouncil.org/burma), must be completed and submitted as instructed. For further information please contact the British Council’s information desk (
enquiries@mm.britishcouncil.org) or e-mail the Secretary of the Trust in London (
timbutchard@wallace-trusts.org.uk).
Selection process
The British Council in Burma will manage the selection process. Successful applications will be approved by the Charles Wallace Burma Trust in London which finances the fellows’ travel and UK stipends.
Report
Visiting Fellows are asked to submit a one-page report to the British Council and the Charles Wallace Burma Trust on completion of their programmes, summarising the content and achievements of their visit to the UK.
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