BVI Asia Abroad Scholarship Outreach Expanded; Office
The BVI Hong Kong Office has expanded its BVI Asia Abroad Scholarship outreach with information sessions in schools across the Virgin Islands, plus a public webinar and pop-up session to reach more students and parents (BVI Government). The office reiterated its support for students studying in Asia—highlighting pastoral care, a recent BVI Christmas Dinner for overseas students, and plans to grow enrollment from nine to 20 for the 2026/2027 year (BVI Government; BVI News/ZBVI).
The BVI Hong Kong Office has taken the BVI Asia Abroad Scholarship Programme into schools and communities across the Virgin Islands, holding a series of informational sessions for public and private school students and the general public. Sessions were held at Elmore Stoutt High School, the Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies, Claudia Creque Educational Center in Anegada, and St.
The office also hosted a public webinar and a pop-up informational session to widen access to details about studying in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore and Taiwan (BVI Government). Political Economy Officer Kyla Forbes led the campus and community outreach and said engaging BVI students left her optimistic about the Territory’s future.
Forbes told the Government office, "It was truly an extraordinary experience engaging with the next generation. Speaking with our students has left me energised and deeply optimistic about the future of the Virgin Islands. They are driven by bold aspirations and have the capability to accomplish incredible things.
Having the opportunity to interact with these students assured me that our students are ready for the world, and the world is ready to receive them" (BVI Government). The Asia Abroad Scholarship Programme, established in 2020 and administered by the BVI’s Representative Office in Hong Kong, is described by Director Dr.
Ricardo Wheatley as a three-way partnership between the Government of the Virgin Islands, partner Asian universities and the private sector. The programme supports undergraduate, master’s and doctoral study in priority areas selected to help the Territory’s sustainable development on students’ return, including hospitality and tourism, information technology, engineering, media and communications, marine and maritime studies, public health and medical fields, nursing, education, agriculture and fisheries, finance, public administration and diplomacy (BVI Government).
Alongside the outreach, the Hong Kong Office has publicly reassured parents about the level of support students receive while studying in Asia. Political Economy Officer Ronn Grant told ZBVI that although distance can make parents uneasy, the office provides on-the-ground assistance and acts as the main liaison between students, universities and the Territory’s government. "There is no doubt about it.
Studying in Asia is quite a distance from the Virgin Islands... That is the role of the BVI Hong Kong office," Grant said, stressing that students receive an "immense level of support" (BVI News/ZBVI). Grant also highlighted the office’s pastoral care, particularly around holiday periods when students may not be able to return home.
BVI News reported the office hosted a "BVI Christmas Dinner" on December 20, 2025, to help students studying and working in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and China feel included while away from home (BVI News). At present nine Virgin Islanders are enrolled under the scheme and the Hong Kong Office aims to increase that number to 20 for the 2026/2027 academic year (BVI Government; BVI News).
Students interested in applying for the 2026/2027 academic year are asked to contact the BVI Hong Kong Office by email at studyinasia@bvihongkongoffice.com.hk. The Government says the programme is part of broader efforts to promote good governance and sustainable development and to equip young people with skills to support a well-informed, prosperous Territory (BVI Government).
Primary source: BVI Government