SKY News and the University of Kent have teamed up to offer one Medway student a unique opportunity.

The satellite channel has chosen the university’s Centre for Journalism, based at the Chatham Maritime campus, for a new annual scholarship programme, named after the late Sky News presenter Bob Friend.

The scholarship will be awarded annually to a student from the University of Kent’s multimedia journalism degree.

The award will go to the student who the panel believe shows the most academic and professional merit, as well as potential for the future.

The winner will be chosen by Sky News, the Centre for Journalism and the Friend family. The scholarship will pay their first-year tuition fees.

The winning student will also be guaranteed a four-week work placement at Sky News.

Head of Sky News John Ryley will be launching the scholarhship on Monday, February 9 at the Medway campus.

He will deliver the inaugural Sky Bob Friend Memorial Lecture and present a first-year student from the Centre for Journalism with the year-long scholarship.

Prof Tim Luckhurst, head of the Centre for Journalsim, said: “The addition of the Bob Friend Memorial Scholarship to the degree programme has thrilled the students, and it will encourage applicants who have the talent, ambition and drive to build successful careers in multimedia journalism.”