SIET awards ‘a huge vote of confidence’ for nine new Fellows

Congratulations to our newest recipients, who join the family of SIET Fellows around the world.

The Trust awards Fellowships twice a year, in the Spring and the Autumn. In this year’s Autumn round, we made nine awards supporting these new Fellows in taking up a range of exciting international challenges. Here, in their own words, is what the awards mean to them.

Safe travels and good luck to them all!

Kaitlin Easton

Kaitlin Easton, from South Lanarkshire, has received a Fellowship to help her undertake an internship with the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research in Geneva as part of an MSc in Human Rights and Diplomacy at the University of Stirling.

“I am incredibly grateful to the Scottish International Education Trust for supporting my internship at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) in Geneva. The financial support provided by the Trust is enabling me to undertake an opportunity that, without external funding, would not have been accessible to me.

“Being here in Geneva, and particularly being based at the Palais des Nations, has been an invaluable experience. Seeing how discussions, negotiations and multilateral cooperation unfold in practice has brought my academic interests to life in a way that could not be replicated through study alone.”

Anna Fettes

Anna Fettes, from Fife, has received a Fellowship to help her take up the offer of a place at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. She will be the first Scotswoman to study drumming at Berklee, where her tutors will include past SIET Fellow and Berklee Associate Professor Gail McArthur-Browne, the saxophonist, composer and arranger from Glasgow.

“I have been playing drum kit since I was just 3 years old, but I truly found my passion at age 11 when I decided I wanted to be a professional musician. My first encounter with Berklee was in 2024 when I was 15. I flew to Boston by myself to attend their 3-day Drums and Percussion Workshop. Even though it was short, I was completely hooked. For someone from a tiny Scottish village, being surrounded by people who are just as obsessed with music as I am was an indescribable feeling.

“It’s incredible to have the Trust’s support to help fulfil my dream of becoming the first female Scottish drummer ever to study at Berklee College of Music.”

Persephone Harvey

Persephone Harvey is from Falkirk, and a graduate of Edinburgh University where she studied French and Spanish. Her Fellowship will enable her to undertake an internship with UPR Info, a non-governmental organisation that aims to promote international human rights through the UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review.

“I can’t begin to tell you how honoured I feel to be chosen for such an amazing opportunity! I have already begun my internship with UPR Info, and I must admit that the cost of living in Geneva is even higher than I had anticipated. This monetary award is consequently a huge relief to me. I am greatly enjoying my time with UPR Info, feeling that the work I am doing with the organisation is truly impactful for the protection and promotion of human rights. I look forward to bringing the skills I learn throughout my time here back to Scotland!”

Violet Hejazi

Violet Hejazi arrived in Scotland as a refugee from Syria and went on to complete a law degree at the University of Stirling. She has received a Fellowship to enable her to undertake an internship at the Centar za Postkonfliktna Istraživanja (Post-Conflict Research Center, PCRC) in Sarajevo as part of her LLM degree in Human Rights & Diplomacy, also at Stirling. The PCRC is an independent non-governmental organisation which works to sustain peace and restore inter-ethnic relationships in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“I am absolutely thrilled and deeply honoured to accept the Trustees’ generous offer.

“Arriving in Scotland alone at eighteen as a refugee from Syria, education became my anchor and my pathway to rebuilding a life. Receiving this grant is not only a vital financial lifeline that relieves the daunting prospect of high-interest debt, but also a profound vote of confidence in my potential as a legal scholar. Scotland gave me a second chance at life, and this award empowers me to represent Scottish academic excellence on the international stage.”

Rhona MacDonald

Rhona MacDonald’s Fellowship will help her complete her study for a Master’s degree in Classical Music Performance at the Kungliga Musikhögskolan (KMH; Royal College of Music) in Stockholm. Rhona is a double-bass player from Glasgow, and a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

“The support from SIET will allow me to take up the many exciting and rewarding professional development opportunities the Master’s in Classical Music offers, for example: playing with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra; playing as part of KMH’s many exciting orchestral and chamber projects; receiving 1:1 lessons from the principal players from the Royal Swedish Opera and the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra; and researching Swedish folk music as part of my master’s thesis. I feel so emboldened by the recognition and support from SIET, without which I wouldn’t have been able to continue my scholarship-funded studies at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm.”

Andro Mathewson

Andro Mathewson’s Fellowship will help him undertake a 10-day final-stage research visit to Ukraine in order to complete his doctorate at King’s College, London, on unmanned systems in the Russia-Ukraine war. Andro was born in Illinois and brought up in Scotland.

“Being funded by the Scottish International Education Trust is a great privilege and honour for me. Beyond the financial award, which will help me to finish my PhD research, including on-the-ground in Ukraine, it means a lot that a Scottish organization is supporting research in the realm of defense and emerging military technologies.

“As part of my research I have already created the Unmanned Systems Tracker (unmannedsystemstracker.com), an open-source, publicly available website showing some of the data behind my research to help raise awareness about the importance of unmanned systems in modern warfare.”

Emily Morran

Emily Morran is a French horn player from Dumbarton and a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Her Fellowship will help her continue her studies through a Master’s degree at the University of Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

“I am beyond grateful to have been awarded this grant by the Scottish International Education Trust. This support is taking me one step closer to achieving a dream that I have worked towards for many years.

“Coming from an area like Dumbarton, where opportunities and funding for the arts and postgraduate study can be limited, there have been times when pursuing my goal of becoming a professional orchestral musician has felt out of reach. I hope to represent Scotland positively during my studies overseas and to build a career that inspires other young musicians from communities like my own to believe that ambitious goals can be achieved, regardless of where they begin.”

Róise Nic An Bheatha

Róise Nic An Bheatha’s Fellowship will help her undertake a Film Directing Master’s degree at the School of Visual Arts in New York. Originally from Belfast, Róise has lived in Scotland from the age of 14 and studied Scottish Literature & Language at the University of Glasgow.

“Receiving the SIET Fellowship is a life-changing milestone in my journey as a Film student at the School of Visual Arts in New York. The high cost of American tuition – combined with the requirement to independently finance our final thesis films – was a constant source of concern, and that financial uncertainty made it hard to give the program my full, undivided focus.

“Thanks to the Trust, I can focus entirely on directing the best possible short film without the distraction of financial strain. Receiving support from a Scottish trust means the world to me, as my aim is to bring my filmmaking skills back home to Scotland.”

Cliodhna Scott

Clio Scott, from Edinburgh, has received a Fellowship to study for a Master’s degree in Instrumental Studies (Flute Performance) at MDW Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Wien (the University of Music & Performing Arts, Vienna). She previously completed her Bachelors Degree at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki.

“Being given an award by the Scottish International Education Trust feels like a huge vote of confidence in me. Training to be a classical musician is a long, arduous path and is also incredibly expensive. The assistance offered by the SIET will help me to be able to fully immerse myself in my studies without worrying about financial barriers. I am beyond excited to be beginning the next stage of my education in Vienna, where I’ll have the opportunity to study with an incredible teacher in a city that’s renowned for its classical music as well as its beauty!”