20 for 20: Gates Cambridge celebrates its 20th anniversary

  • September 30, 2021

Gates Cambridge has profiled one scholar for every year of its existence, showcasing the breadth of the programme

Between 2020 and 2021 we have been celebrating the 20th anniversary of Gates Cambridge with a number of special events on everything from climate change to gender, an anniversary edition of The Scholar magazine and much more. Alongside that we have been running a series of profiles of scholars and alumni, one from each year the scholarship has been in existence.

The scholars profiled are from a broad spectrum of countries and disciplines. Some alumni have gone onto impressive roles in academia; others have been more focused on policy work, business or social enterprise. Some have bridged several of these areas. All have been influenced by the Gates Cambridge’ mission of improving the lives of others in whatever way they can.

These are the profiled students with links to the profile:

2001 – Jennifer Gibson [International Relations] on how Gates Cambridge helped her in her current role as a human rights defender – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/democracy-does-not-work-on-a-trust-me-basis/

2002 – Chris Tooley [Education] on how he has used his experience of academia, politics and community work to help his community – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/affecting-change-for-the-maori-community/

– 2003 – Aditi Mukherji [Geography] on her campaigning work on local ground water issues – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/local-approaches-to-global-climate-change-issues/

2004 – Shane Woods [Genetics] on his work at a tech start-up that aims to give researchers access to vital data on routine cancer care – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/harnessing-the-power-of-routine-clinical-care/

2005 – Carmen Lacambra Segura [Geography] on co-founding a consultancy specialising in resilience and climate change adaptation – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/on-the-ground-responses-to-climate-change-extremes/

2006 – Kofi Boakye [Criminology] on his widely published criminology research and how it is driving evidence-based policy in Ghana and beyond – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/why-context-matters-in-criminology/

2007 – Shauna-Lee Chai  [Plant Sciences] on her research on tropical forest protection and how her PhD has shaped her career – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/an-innovative-approach-to-plant-protection/

2008 – Noah Isserman [Geography] on the development of his ideas about radical student- and researcher-led innovation – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/putting-students-at-the-centre-of-enterprise/

2009 – Wang Ivy Wong [Social and Developmental Psychology] on her career in gender studies research and her efforts to help put gender studies on the map in East Asia – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/gender-under-the-microscope/

2010 – Alex Davies [Engineering] on his time as a Gates Cambridge Scholar and how it has influenced the work he is doing now at DeepMind – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/taking-machine-learning-to-the-next-level/

2011 – Johanna Riha [Public Health and Primary Care] on her career in epidemiology and policy and her new role at the UN University International Institute for Global Health – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/a-global-perspective-on-gender-and-health/

2012 – Vaibhav Bhardwaj [Plant Sciences] on his career in biotechnology start-ups which aim to massively accelerate treatments for some of the world’s most challenging medical issues – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/from-plant-sciences-to-biotech-start-ups/

2013 – Christian Boehm [Plant Sciences] on his path to a leading role in Germany’s search for a sustainable bioeconomy
–  https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/policy-for-a-green-recovery/

2014 – Naomi Woo [Music] on her research and career in music and why she is fascinated by the interaction between performer and audience – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/the-magic-of-music/

2015 – Sridhar Jagganathan [Psychology] on his research into the mechanisms and function of sleep – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/why-do-we-sleep/

2016 – Dima Krayem [Development Studies] on her research and work with Syrian refugees in Lebanon – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/refugee-aid-in-a-collapsing-state/

2017 – Dylan Gaffney [Archaeology] on his pioneering research in the Raja Ampat Islands of West Papua
https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/what-drove-island-living-in-ancient-times/

2018 – Valentina Ndolo [Veterinary Medicine] on her research mapping potential anthrax hot spots
https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/mapping-anthrax-outbreaks/

2019 – Ibrahim Abdou [Architecture] on his research into the different reasons for Cairo’s housing vacancy problem – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/understanding-how-a-city-works/

2020 – Alina Utrata [Politics and International Studies] on her research on big tech power structures and how tech corporates interact with the state – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/power-politics-and-big-tech/

2021 – Arnab Sarkar [Astronomy] on his research into white dwarfs – https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/beyond-the-limits-in-astronomical-research/

Latest News

The process of history-making

Olin Moctezuma-Burns [2020] is keen not to repeat the patterns of some past researchers and to give back to the communities she studies. For that reason she recently co-organised an international gathering of Imagining Futures projects on archiving indigenous and traditional knowledges in Sotuta, Yucatan. The meeting brought together people from Colombia, Peru, Kenya, Tanzania, […]

How might extreme heat contribute to human migration?

Rising temperatures due to climate change are likely influencing human migration patterns, according to a new study co-authored by Gates Cambridge Scholar Dr Kim van Daalen [2018]. The study, led by Rita Issa of University College London, is published today in the open-access journal PLOS Climate. It looks at the role of heat in human […]

Scholar scoops prestigious science innovation fellowship

Freja Ekman has been named one of the 2023 class of Hertz Fellows as the prestigious fellowship celebrates its 60th year. The 15 fellowships in applied science, engineering and mathematics are awarded by Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, a non-profit organisation for innovators in science and technology. Winners will have their graduate studies funded for […]

Scholar hosts first UN communications technology access meeting in India

Gates Cambridge Scholar Pradipta Biswas has hosted a UN meeting on improving access to communications technology – the first ever held in India. The meeting of ITU-T Study Group 9 (SG-9) on “Broadband Cable and Television/Audiovisual content transmission and integrated broadband cable networks”  was held in May at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru […]