Friday 15 November 2024, London – Amazon, in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, has announced the 2024 recipients of the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship. The award will provide financial support to 15 women students from low-income backgrounds studying engineering and computer science degrees in the UK. Since launching the programme in 2021, Amazon has awarded over £1.25 million worth of funding and currently supports 90 women studying STEM-related degrees at universities across the UK.
This year’s recipients were recognised for their dedication to creating meaningful change through technology and will each receive a financial support package of up to £20,000 from Amazon. This year’s cohort includes Zoriana Aleyeva, a student who fled to Birmingham with her family following the outbreak of war in Ukraine, and has recently started a computer science degree at the University of Warwick. Anurati Panchkoty is from Glasgow and is studying computer science at the University of Edinburgh. Her parents came to the UK from Nepal and Anurati is the first generation in her family to attend university. She went to her first coding class at the age of six and is passionate about the prospect of AI benefiting the health sector in the future.
Amazon and the Royal Academy of Engineering established the scholarship to help address the underrepresentation of women studying computer science and engineering at UK universities. The latest data from the Office for Students shows a significant gender imbalance of students enrolling in STEM subjects, with over 80% of undergraduate entrants for engineering, technology and computing courses being men. According to UCAS, 27,600 students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds enrolled at university in 2024, 7% higher than last year. However, the difference in entry rates between the most disadvantaged and the least disadvantaged students remains at 22 percentage points meaning that the most disadvantaged students remain far less likely to enter higher education than their more affluent peers.
The scholarship is part of Amazon Future Engineer, Amazon’s childhood-to-career programme, which has provided free digital skills training and careers guidance to more than one million students across the UK. Recipients will each receive £5,000 annually for up to four years to support their university-related expenses, including tuition, accommodation, and living costs. Alongside this financial support, awardees will also benefit from a comprehensive package that includes mentorship from Amazon employees to enhance their professional growth, provide networking opportunities, and the transition into employment.
Lauren Kisser, Ambassador for Amazon Future Engineer & Director, Living Room Technology at Amazon, said: “Exceptional talent can be found right across the UK, but the tech sector risks a lack of diversity of thought if we don’t step up efforts to support students from diverse backgrounds into STEM subjects. At Amazon, we’re passionate about breaking down barriers to opportunity and I’m delighted that we will support our scholarship recipients on their journey to become the innovators of the future, shaping a more equitable, sustainable future.”
Lynda Mann, Head of Education Programmes at the Royal Academy of Engineering, said: “We are very pleased to continue partnering with Amazon on this important positive action initiative to increase the number of women, from all over the UK, enrolling on STEM degree programmes. Evidence suggests the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships are having a real and positive impact on recipients, both in terms of their experience at university and their progression into careers in engineering and computing.”
Javine Ebrubah, who is studying for a computer science degree at the University of Kent, is one of this year’s awardees: “The financial support offered by the scholarship is obviously a major benefit,” she said. “My family couldn’t afford to support me through university, and I would never expect them to, so I would struggle financially to do a degree without this support from Amazon. Not only that, but access to mentors, like minded students and networking groups is invaluable as I fulfil my dreams of owning my own app development company.”
Fellow scholarship recipient Anurati Panchkoty is studying computer science at the University of Edinburgh: “When applying for university, I was quite worried about the financial side of things. When I came across the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, what drew me was both the financial support and the mentoring scheme. I thought it would be amazing to hear from industry specialists and was excited about the networking opportunities that come with it, as I think learning from other people is so valuable. It can be intimidating to be a woman in STEM, and we each have a role to inspire and encourage other women in the field.”
Scholarship applications for the 2025/26 academic year open on 18th November, and will close on 13th May 2025.
Amazon launched Amazon Future Engineer in 2019, to bridge the digital skills gap by providing greater access and more opportunities to young people from underrepresented communities. The programme has now reached over one million students across the UK, providing primary and secondary students with access to free Python coding classes, career exploration through Class Chats and virtual school trips, CPD training for teachers, and more.
The Amazon Future Engineer programme illustrates Amazon's commitment to skills development, inclusivity, and creating career opportunities. This aligns with Amazon being named as a Top Employer 2024 in the UK by the Top Employer Institute, highlighting Amazon’s commitments to learning and skills training.
For details about the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship, please visit: https://www.amazonfutureengineer.co.uk/scholarship