Among the many scholarships programmes that help talented individuals achieve their dreams of studying in the United Kingdom, the A.S. Hornby Educational Trust Master's Scholarship Programme stands out as a unique opportunity to receive a world-class education and make a real impact.
Each year, the A.S. Hornby Educational Trust provides grants for foreign English teachers to receive a master's degree in teaching English as a second language (TESOL) at prestigious UK universities. The Foundation was founded by Albert Sidney Hornby, best known for his Dictionary of Modern English, which was first published in 1961. Hornby established the foundation to support English language learning around the world. The foundation is funded by royalties from the sale of the dictionary and is officially registered as a charity in the UK.
The Hornby Scholarship covers a year of graduate study in TESOL at a top university in the United Kingdom as well as housing, transportation, and visa costs. The scholarship also covers the cost of taking an approved language proficiency exam. In order to be eligible for the Hornby Scholarship, applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree and have at least three years of experience teaching English. Applicants must meet the B2 level language proficiency requirement, which corresponds to a score of 6.5 on the IELTS exam and a score of 92 on the TOEFL exam.
The application process includes a written submission, an interview with representatives of the British Council and the Hornby Foundation, and a language proficiency test. Applicants must also apply for a place in their desired master’s programme. Since the inception of the scholarship, more than 500 individuals have passed through this rigorous application process to be selected as scholars.
Erkin Mukhamedov, an educator at the Westminster International University in Tashkent, is one such individual. After completing his studies in the UK, Erkin Mukhamedov returned to Uzbekistan and launched a project to improve literacy assessments of university teachers in remote areas of Uzbekistan. Erkin also helped with the preparation of a textbook in Uzbek for schoolteacher trainers. Now he is a senior lecturer at the university and the head of the organizing committee of one of the most prestigious international conferences in Uzbekistan.
“Receiving a Hornby Scholarship and being able to receive a world-class education is the best experience of my professional life. I have learned a lot about education in the UK and beyond by interacting with professors and other international students,” said Erkin Mukhamedov. Most importantly, my education has strengthened my confidence in leadership. Returning to my homeland, I took on the responsibility of leading a large team of colleagues. All the knowledge, skills and experience accumulated in England I found useful in my work,” he added.
Living and studying in the UK can have a transformative impact. Winning a Hornby scholarship can even improve job prospects and help an individual build a successful career path. Alex Ulko, an experienced English teacher, believes that winning the scholarship helped him take a big step in his personal and professional development.
“I received the Hornby Scholarship in 1999, for me it was a new stage in my life. The scholarship helped me build my self-confidence and self-esteem, and thanks to the foundation,” he said. The generous financial support of the Hornby Foundation allowed Ulko to focus on his studies, “without need to think about a part-time job.” This gave Ulko more time to pursue “self-education, volunteer opportunities and internships.
After returning to Uzbekistan, Ulko used the skills he gained in the UK to participate in several British Council-supported teacher training projects, in which he developed teaching materials and tests for different groups of students and delivered hundreds of diversified trainings in a wide variety of courses. Reflecting on his experience, Alex Ulko advises future winners of the Hornby Scholarship to “meet as many people as possible while studying in the UK” as he believes the communications skills by meeting new people and learning about their experiences have “always come handy in life.”
Umida Khakimova, who recently returned to Uzbekistan after completing her studies at the University of Warrick, developed her critical thinking and academic writing skills while a Hornby Scholar. Khakimova believes that the personalized feedback provided by her professors really contributed to the learning experience she and her peers enjoyed. She is grateful to the Hornby Foundation for the opportunity to receive quality education in the UK.
“First of all, I am grateful to the Hornby Educational Trust and the British Council for the opportunity to study at one of the most prestigious universities in the world. After returning to my homeland, I launched a joint project with other teachers to develop English in our school. As part of this project, English teachers will meet once a week to discuss current challenges and find the best solutions to teaching problems. This non-judgmental type of conversation will help teachers identify their own shortcomings, which are closely related to their teaching method,” said Khakimova.
Now, Umida Khakimova is planning to expand her education project to create support groups for more teachers across Uzbekistan. Umida believes that Hornby Scholars can get the most out of the experience if they pursue friendships “with people from different countries.” Doing so, “expands a person’s horizons and deepens one’s understanding of other cultures,” Umida Khakimova adds.
Another Hornby Scholarship winner, Elyanora Menglieva, is also making an impact in the educational sector. Having completed her master's degree in TESOL in 2018, Menglieva currently works for Mercy Corps Uzbekistan as the Deputy Director of the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Nutrition Program. This program is aimed at improving the attendance of preschoolers, improving early childhood literacy, conducting trainings for preschool education staff, including teachers in rural areas across Uzbekistan.
For Elyanora Menglieva, the opportunity to study in the UK was most valuable because it introduced her to the latest educational research and helped her “expand her skills in teaching English by applying new pedagogical approaches.” Menglieva also appreciated the “various opportunities for all-round development” offered at British universities. Reflecting on her experience studying in the UK, she grateful to the Hornby Foundation. “None of it would have happened, without the scholarship support. – Elyanora adds. The experience saw her life “change for the better.”
In today’s increasingly interconnected world, being able to speak a foreign language is one of the most important skills. In Uzbekistan, being able to speak English has greater value than ever before. But giving more Uzbek students the opportunity to learn English, requires more English language teachers. This mission is what motivates Kamilla Tangirova, who has her own success story as a Hornby Scholar.
“The Hornby Scholarship and the British Council gave me all the necessary skills and experience for my specialty, thanks to which, to this day, I use my knowledge for good and with the aim of improving the teaching of English in our country,” said Kamilla Tangirova. “Today I manage the activities of the Association UzTESPING (Uzbekistan Teachers of English for Specific Purposes Integrated Networking Group), which was created to help teachers of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) in their professional development,” she added.
Receiving the prestigious Hornby Scholarship helped Kamilla build her career. She has fond memories of her time at the University of Warwick, where she participated in various clubs and extracurricular activities. Kamilla Tangirova believes that “the more a student is involved in extracurricular projects of the university, the higher his level of critical thinking” and recommends future Hornby Scholars take advantage of such opportunities when studying in the UK.
For English language instructors, a master’s degree can unlock new potential and boost their professional development. By achieving higher qualifications, instructors can better contribute to the growth of English language education in their country. The Hornby Educational Trust partners with such instructors around the world, helping them reach their potential at leading universities in the UK.
In the 2023-2024 academic year, fellows will study at the University of Exeter. The selection of applicants for study at this university under the Hornby program is already in the process.