The British Council IELTS Prize valued at 2.2 billion dong will support aspiring students in East Asia* to pursue their study abroad dreams at an English-speaking higher education institution The British Council in Vietnam is pleased to announce that applications for the British Council IELTS Prize (East Asia) 2019/20 are being accepted until 30 April 2020. The IELTS Prize is open to students who plan to begin undergraduate or postgraduate studies locally or overseas in the 2020/21 academic year. Three motivated students from Vietnam will share local prizes, amounting to 450 million dong, and three outstanding winners in the East Asia region* will be awarded regional prizes, totalling up to 1.74 billion dong. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20191210/2665937-1-a The British Council IELTS Prize encourages applicants to pursue their dreams in any discipline they desire. Essential eligibility criteria require that applicants a) hold a minimum band score of 6.0 in each of the four components of an IELTS test taken with British Council in the East Asia region* after 1 April 2019, and b) intend to pursue undergraduate or postgraduate studies locally or abroad at degree level in the 2020/21 academic year at a tertiary institution that accepts IELTS as part of its admission requirements. Shortlisting and interviewing will take place in June 2020. The selection panel will award the IELTS Prize to individuals who show a passion to contribute to society with knowledge and skills they will gain from their studies. "The British Council IELTS Prize (East Asia) is bestowed on young scholars from diverse backgrounds who strive to achieve their study dreams. As an organisation that offers life-changing opportunities through delivering millions of exams annually, we are delighted to support these exceptional individuals to pursue higher education abroad, expand their understanding of the world, and return with new knowledge, improved confidence and fresh insights to serve their home country," says Trish Thomson, Regional Marketing Director, East Asia. Since its launch in 2011, over 270 IELTS test takers have been awarded the IELTS Prize, pursuing tertiary education in destinations abroad, including the UK, US, Canada, Australia, France and Singapore in disciplines ranging from Medicine, Engineering, Science, and Business Management to Public Communication, Media, Performance, and many more. Dillon, Chew Wei Xuan, the Regional Grand Prize 2018/19 winner, currently a first year Biotechnology student at the University of Cambridge, notes, "studying abroad has always been a dream of mine. The British Council IELTS Prize has enabled me to fly the nest and experience the intellectually stimulating and engaging education the University of Cambridge has to offer. I am thrilled to have met lots of like-minded people from all over the world, to share our different interests and experiences, and discuss a wide range of exciting topics from Science to Politics, with English as a common language." Nguyen Duc Thinh, the First Prize 2018/19 winner of Vietnam, currently studying Applied Arts in Journalism at the University of Prince Edward Island, shares, "I originally did not intend to apply for any scholarship for my study in Canada as I always thought of myself as an ordinary person with no particular outstanding academic achievement. A scholarship would be something out of my reach. On the day I registered for the IELTS test at British Council Hanoi's office, I was told by the staff person about IELTS Prize, which really intrigued me. That is why coming home I immediately went to the official website of IELTS Prize to read all about it. What I really love about this scholarship is that compared to some foreign government scholarships I have heard of, IELTS Prize does not really have complicated eligibility requirements, which is perfect for me. The selection process is also really straightforward, with clear instruction given through each email." Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20191210/2665937-1-b Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20191210/2665937-1-c Applications for the British Council IELTS Prize (East Asia) 2019/20 will close at 18.00 Vietnam time on 30 April 2020. The winners will be announced in July 2020. For more details, please visit www.ieltsasia.org/ieltsprize. Local and Regional Prize Structure Prize Local Prizes Regional Prizes First Prize 180 million dong First-year tuition fee up to 1.2 billion dong Second Prize 150 million dong 300 million dong Third Prize 120 million dong 240 million dong * Participating East Asian countries/territories include Hong Kong/Macau, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. For more information, please contact: Hanh Le Communications Manager British Council 20 Thuy Khue, Tay Ho, Hanoi, Vietnam T: +84-4-38436780 (ext. 1957) F: +84-4-38434962 E: hanh.le@britishcouncil.org.vn Ngoc Anh Nguyen Exams Marketing Manager British Council 1F Viettel Building 285 Cach Mang Thang Tam, District 10, HCMC, Vietnam T: +84-1800-1299 (ext. 2407) E: ngocanh.nguyen@britishcouncil.org.vn Notes to Editors: About the British Council The British Council is the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We work with over 100 countries in the fields of arts and culture, English language, education and civil society. Last year we reached over 80 million people directly and 791 million people overall including online, through broadcasts and publications. We make a positive contribution to the countries we work with – changing lives by creating opportunities, building connections and engendering trust. Founded in 1934 we are a UK charity governed by Royal Charter and a UK public body. We receive 15 per cent core funding grant from the UK government. britishcouncil.org About International English Language Testing System (IELTS) IELTS is the International English Language Testing System, the world's most popular English language proficiency test for higher education and global migration, with over 3.5 million tests taken in the last year. More than 10,000 organizations trust and accept IELTS as a secure, valid and reliable indicator of true-to-life ability to communicate in English for education, immigration and professional accreditation. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and Cambridge Assessment English. Test takers are measured in listening, reading, writing and speaking. All tests are scored on a banded system from 1 (the lowest) through to 9 (the highest band). SOURCE: British Council (IELTS)