Gates Cambridge is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025 with a host of events bringing Scholars and Alumni together and recognising the impact they have had around the world. We are celebrating both what scholars have already achieved and looking forward to the next 25 years.
The scholarship programme was set up in 2000, following an historic donation of US$210m from the Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge. The first class of scholars came into residence in October 2001. Since then, the Trust has awarded 2,156 scholarships to scholars from 115 countries. There are over 250 scholars in residence at any given time. 25 additional scholarships will be awarded as part of our celebrations, meaning that the Class of 2025 will comprise 100 scholars.
The anniversary year kicked off with the announcement of our eight Impact Prize winners in January. A big focus of the year will be on the scholarship’s ‘ripple effect’ – the many ways our scholars have a positive impact across the world – in their fields, in their workplaces and in wider society, now and in the future.
Eilis Ferran, Provost of Gates Cambridge, says: “For 25 years now, students from across the globe have come to Cambridge to work with us and become part of our community. Then, when they go back out into the world as Gates Cambridge scholars, they make it a better place in ways no one could have predicted at the start. Whether a contribution as small as a poem that heals a single human heart or vast as the medicine that cures a million, the possibilities we set in motion are infinite. This is the heart – and the wonder – of the Gates Cambridge mission. To create a limitless ripple effect of possibility and change.”
The anniversary celebration highlights include:
The Impact Prize ceremony took place in January 2025. Eight winners were announced who have made a demonstrable contribution to change in various fields, including the economy, society, culture, the environment, public policy, health and quality of life. A film with interviews with the Impact Prize winners can be viewed here. Some of the winners are pictured right: Mona Jebril, Anoop Tripathi, Uche Ogechukwu, Emma Houiellebecq, Emily Kassie and Urbasi Sinha. Toby Norman accepted the prize for his Simprints’ co-founder Alexandra Grigore. Alex Vail accepted via video link.
The Gates Cambridge Anniversary Lecture: Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS gave the annual lecture on 6th March 2025. The lecture can be viewed here. A report on the event is here. Winnie Byanyima is pictured left.
Cambridge Festival: Ideas that could change the world. We opened Bill Gates Sr. House up on 21st March 2025 for a panel event featuring cutting edge researchers addressing 3D bioprinting, access to healthcare and food security. The event can be viewed here.
8th May: A day of celebration with presentations by six current scholars, a look at the impact our alumni have made and a wide-ranging discussion on the role of international scholarship programmes now and in the future. A report on the day can be found here.
The panel discussion on the importance and future of international scholarship programmes, featuring Professor Riikka Hofmann from the first 2001 cohort who is now an interviewer on the social sciences panel, Dr Jonathan Holloway, president of Rutgers and a Gates Cambridge Trustee, Brendan O’Malley, editor-in-chief of University World News, and Gates Cambridge Provost Professor Eilis Ferran, can be found here.
The Gates Cambridge Weekend on 14th June brought alumni from around the world together and featured a panel discussion on climate change justice. You can view the discussion here.
Throughout the year there are also a series of films, including the 25@25 series.
These can be viewed or listened to on our YouTube channel here.
The anniversary edition of our podcast series, So, now what? can be found here [episodes 10-17]. The series featured discussions with Gates Cambridge Scholars about everything from how do we make the world a better place for young people to how to tackle the challenges of an ageing world.
Throughout the year we have also run a series of features on the impact scholars have had over the last 25 years in the fields of health, law and politics, technology, the arts, the environment, economics, education and society.
In September, our 25th cohort joined us. They include 25 additional scholarships in celebration of the anniversary. Profiles of some of our new scholars can be found on www.gatescambridge.org.
A film celebrating orientation will be launched in November and a magazine commemorating the 25th anniversary will be published in December.
Follow all the celebrations on our social media pages, including:
Instagram: @gates.cambridge
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gatescambridge
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/gates-cambridge/
