Meet our Chevening Scholar - Sonia

Chevening Scholarships are a global programme from the UK government, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and other partner organisaitions. They aim to inspire and enable oustanding emerging leaders from across the world pursue their Master's degree at a university in the UK, including UCL. 

Sonia Sonia was a Chevening Scholar for the 2024/25 academic year, studying for a Master's degree in Environment, Politics and Society. Here she recounts her experience during her time at UCL:

As my year in the UK comes to a close, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the wider UCL community for the outstanding academic and institutional support I have received throughout this journey as a Chevening Scholar.

This year has been incredibly formative, not only as a postgraduate student in the MSc in Environment, Politics, and Society, but also as an early-career environmental professional working at the intersection of chemical governance, public health, and international diplomacy. UCL’s world-class teaching, critical learning environment, and strong encouragement of interdisciplinary engagement have empowered me to participate meaningfully on the global stage.

Between May and June 2025, I also had the honour of representing both UCL and Indonesia at three major UNEP meetings: 

1. At the Basel-Rotterdam-Stockholm Convention COP in Geneva, I was invited to speak on a high-level side event titled “Gender & Toxics: The Right to a Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment”. I shared the panel with representatives from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), and our discussion received attention from several government delegations. It was a deeply empowering moment to bring academic and activist perspectives from Indonesia into a multilateral UN space.

2. At the Science-Policy Panel (OEWG 3.2), I contributed as a youth and civil society observer to negotiations aimed at establishing a science-policy interface on chemicals, waste, and pollution—one of the most urgent governance gaps of our time. 

3. At the first meeting of the Open-Ended Working Group for the Global Framework on Chemical in Uruguay, I engaged with government negotiators and UN officials, applying UCL-rooted skills in policy engagement, systems thinking, and cross-cultural communication. 

Each of these experiences was underpinned by the strong academic foundation I built at UCL. The department’s emphasis on critical environmental thinking, justice, and policy frameworks gave me the confidence and tools to participate meaningfully and even lead in these global policy dialogues.

UCL has played a vital role in shaping not only my academic development but my broader mission: to contribute to evidence-based, inclusive, and just chemical governance in Indonesia and beyond. Thank you for being a cornerstone of this life-changing year.

Applications for the next cohort of Chevening Scholars are now open, and will close on 7 October 2025 at 12:00 UTC (13:00 GMT). Visit our Chevening information page to find out more about the scheme, and hear from more of our Chevening Scholars.