Chevening British Library Southeast Asian Fellowship 2027 (Funded)

Overview

The Chevening British Library Southeast Asian Fellowship 2027 supports mid-career professionals undertaking research projects on the British Library’s collection of early printed works in Cambodian, Lao, and Thai languages. Fellows spend a 12-month period at the British Library working alongside the Henry Ginsburg Curator, other staff in the Southeast Asia section, and the Conservation Centre. Participants focus on materials from the period of approximately 1840 to 1950, totaling around 600 to 800 items. Selected individuals provide metadata-style information in original scripts and Romanisation to support supervising curators in creating catalogue records.

Who can apply

Applicants must be citizens and residents of Cambodia, Laos, or Thailand. Candidates need a postgraduate level qualification, or equivalent professional training and experience in a relevant area, along with at least five years of significant professional or academic research experience. Applicants must be currently employed or enrolled as a PhD candidate, provided the PhD is not through a UK, EU, or USA university. Candidates require excellent written and spoken knowledge of Thai, Lao, and Khmer, or excellent knowledge of Thai combined with either Lao or Khmer. Good written and spoken English proficiency is also necessary to communicate research findings effectively. Additional expectations include an interest in bibliographical description, cataloguing, curatorial work, Southeast Asian printing history, book culture, and manuscript traditions, alongside a willingness to apply digital tools and artificial intelligence approaches for metadata creation and experience in communicating with non-specialist audiences.

What you get

The fellowship provides a 12-month period of project-based activity at the British Library. Financial provisions include living expenses for the duration of the fellowship and a return economy airfare. Fellows also receive an allowance package for fellowship-related activities, which includes up to 1,000 British Pounds for approved project-related expenses.

Key dates

The application deadline is October 27, 2026.