Earl Jarrett (right) chief executive officer (CEO), The Jamaica National Group, and Parris Lyew-Ayee (left), chairman of the JN Foundation, congratulate Najae Murray, the inaugural recipient of the historic Chevening/JN Oliver F Clarke scholarship, during a courtesy call on the CEO at the Group’s corporate office on August 22.
A scholarship named in honour of the late Oliver F Clarke, former Chairman of The Jamaica National Group, is now open for applications. Persons are being invited to apply for the 2025 Chevening/JN Oliver F Clarke Scholarship, the first Chevening Partner Award to be established in Jamaica, made possible through a two-year Memorandum of Understanding between the British High Commission and The Jamaica National Group.
The prestigious, fully funded scholarship supports a Jamaican scholar pursuing a master’s degree at a university in the United Kingdom in key fields such as social justice, public administration, data analytics, information technology, actuarial science, mathematics, and education.
Interested persons can apply for the scholarship via the Chevening website, https://www.chevening.org, The Jamaica National Group website at www.jngroup.com, or the JN Foundation website at www.jnfoundation.com. The closing date for applications is November 3.
JN Group employees and their immediate family members are not eligible for the scholarship, however, they may apply for other scholarships awarded by Chevening via https://www.chevening.org.
The inaugural award was presented to Najae Murray, Director of Public Relations and Communication at the University Council of Jamaica in August. Mr Murray will be studying Education and International Development at the University College London.
During Mr Murray’s recent courtesy call, Chief Executive Officer of The Jamaica National Group, Earl Jarrett, juxtaposed Mr Clarke’s life and his areas of focus with the scholarship programme.
“Mr Clarke pursued his tertiary education in the UK. Similar to the requirement for the award recipient to return home to use the knowledge gained to help to build their home country, Mr Clarke also returned home after his period of study and contributed to the growth of Jamaica.”
“The Chevening programme is focused on helping to identify, train and foster future leaders, which is similar to what Mr Clarke did. He was a serial mentor through his mentorship of young Jamaicans who demonstrate leadership potential,” he added.
Mr Jarrett also related that Mr Clarke was an advocate for the people of Jamaica who used all his skills and access to improve the lives of people. He believed in education, good public policy and founded many organisations to promote public programmes.
Claudine Allen, General Manager, JN Foundation, pointed out that as part of the two-year partnership agreement, one scholarship will be awarded each year, enabling an exceptional Jamaican student to pursue academic excellence in the United Kingdom and acquire the skills and knowledge needed to drive transformation in Jamaica and beyond.
“By supporting exceptional Jamaican students through the Chevening/JN Oliver F Clarke Scholarship, we are investing in future leaders who will bring innovative solutions and positive change to Jamaica and the wider region. This initiative not only honours the legacy of Mr Clarke, but also aligns with our mission to foster academic excellence and create opportunities for impactful global learning,” Ms Allen said.
“Mr Clarke dedicated his life to championing critical areas of Jamaica’s development, such as education and social justice and, for more than five decades, played a leading role in the growth of media and banking in the region,” she added.
A requirement of the Chevening/Oliver F Clarke scholarship, is that the award recipient must return to Jamaica to contribute their enhanced skills to the country’s development.
