Chevening British Library Southeast Asian Fellowship

About the opportunity

The Chevening British Library Southeast Asian Fellowship is co-funded by the British Library and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Open to mid-career professionals from Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand with a strong interest in surveying, assessing, and researching rare printed works, this 12-month fellowship runs from September 2027 to September 2028. Fellows undertake a research project on the British Library’s collection of early printed works in Cambodian, Lao, and Thai languages spanning c.1840 to 1950. Participants provide metadata-style information in original scripts and Romanisation to support catalogue records created by supervising curators, working closely with the Henry Ginsburg Curator and conservation specialists at the British Library.

Funding and benefits

• 12-month period of project-based activity at the British Library
• Living expenses for the duration of the fellowship
• Return economy airfare
• Allowance package for fellowship-related activities
• Up to £1,000 for approved project-related expenses

Who can apply?

• Be a citizen of and resident in Cambodia, Laos, or Thailand
• Have a postgraduate level qualification or equivalent professional training/experience in a relevant area at the time of application
• Have significant professional and/or academic research experience of at least five years
• Be currently employed or enrolled as a PhD candidate, provided the PhD is not with a UK, EU, or USA university
• Have excellent written and spoken knowledge of Thai, Lao, and Khmer, or excellent knowledge of Thai together with either Lao or Khmer
• Have good written and spoken English with the ability to communicate research findings effectively
• Demonstrate an interest in bibliographical description, cataloguing, and curatorial work
• Show a willingness to learn and apply digital tools, including AI-assisted approaches, to support metadata creation
• Have experience in communicating with non-specialist audiences, including through blogs, social media, or other public engagement activities
• Have an interest in the history of Southeast Asian printing, book culture, and manuscript traditions

When to apply

• Open for applications until 27 October 2026, at 12:00 (UTC)
• Fellowship duration takes place from September 2027 to September 2028

How to apply

• Submit an application via the online Chevening application system before the deadline

Additional information

• The fellowship project covers approximately 600-800 items of early printed works in Cambodian, Lao, and Thai languages.
• Fellows are expected to write and publish a blog post and/or journal article, organise a show-and-tell session, participate in public engagement activities, and present findings at a symposium or conference.