95 new scholars will form the Class of 2025, marking a quarter century of the scholarship's existence
The alumni of the Gates Cambridge program have gone on to remarkable careers, in fields ranging from public health to international relations, chemistry to information technology, and oceanography to neuroscience. We couldn’t be prouder of the difference they’re making, and the leaders they have become.
Bill Gates
The Gates Cambridge Trust has announced the 95 outstanding scholars and future leaders who will form the 25th cohort of Gates Cambridge Scholars.
2025 marks the 25th anniversary of Gates Cambridge, the University of Cambridge’s prestigious postgraduate scholarship programme for the most socially engaged and academically brilliant students from around the world.
Since the first class in 2001, Gates Cambridge has awarded 2,218 scholarships to scholars from 112 countries who represent nearly 800 universities globally (more than 200 in the USA) and around 90 academic departments and all 31 Colleges at Cambridge.
To commemorate the quarter century, 95 new scholars have been selected and will form the Class of 2025, beginning their studies in October. For the first time this year’s international interviews took place in Singapore, where Gates Cambridge Scholar Yeo Bee Yin, a Malaysian MP and former Minister, took part in a special event on innovation, sustainable development and green technology in the ASEAN region.
The Gates Cambridge community is a unique one where scholars come together from a broad sweep of disciplines, backgrounds and countries to tackle the most challenging issues humanity faces.
The 2025 scholars come from all regions of the world and their research covers everything from space agriculture and bilingualism to cyberbiosecurity and building responsible AI systems for supporting disabled communities.
This year, the Trust is boosting its numbers, particularly in underrepresented countries. It has its second scholar from Georgia, its third from Uganda, Belarus and Bosnia and Herzegovina and its sixth from the Philippines.
The 2025 scholars, 57 of whom are doing PhDs and 38 MPhils, represent 35 different primary nationalities.
Professor Eilís Ferran, Provost of the Gates Cambridge Trust, said: “I’m delighted to announce our 25th anniversary cohort of 95 new scholars. Gates Cambridge has always selected scholars based on their outstanding academic achievement and their commitment to change the world for the better. Already they are having a ripple effect in the many disciplines and industry sectors they have gone on to work in. We know that our new scholars will thrive in the rich, international community at Cambridge and we trust that they will go on to have a significant impact in their various fields and more broadly, tackling the urgent global challenges we face today.”
The ripple effect
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme was established through a US$210 million donation to the University of Cambridge from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000. At its heart is a dedication to social leadership and academic excellence.
Since its inception, Gates Cambridge Scholars have created a ripple effect around the world. This anniversary year kicked off with a celebration of its impact. The Impact Prize was awarded to eight scholars from fields as diverse as quantum physics, documentary filming, plant science and wildlife cinematography.
That was followed in early March by a special anniversary Gates Cambridge Annual Lecture given by Winnie Byanyima, head of UNAIDs, where she spoke of the need to see health as a human right.
In late March five scholars spoke at the Cambridge Festival about their ideas for a better world. They covered everything from 3D biotechnology, food security in Africa and health biometrics to pandemic tracking and how we de-risk whistleblowing and encourage greater accountability in our tech organisations.
Scholars have also been involved in a range of other events and films for the 25th anniversary, including workshops on the politics and practice of mining the critical minerals and rare earth elements that are vital for clean energy technologies and high-tech products, art and AI and running a tech start-up in a conflict zone. The Gates Cambridge podcast, So, now what?, has also begun its second season with episodes including how to make a better world for young people, how to get your voice heard in a noisy world and how to boost biodiversity.
Bill Gates, co-founder of the Gates Foundation and Microsoft, said: “When we started the Gates Cambridge Scholarship in 2000, we wanted to help exceptional students from all over the world experience the university’s 800-year legacy of higher education, learn from each other, and prepare to be global leaders. Twenty-five years later, the alumni of the program have gone on to remarkable careers, in fields ranging from public health to international relations, chemistry to information technology, and oceanography to neuroscience. We couldn’t be prouder of the difference they’re making, and the leaders they have become.”
Professor Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge and Chair of the Board of the Gates Cambridge Trust, said: “We are incredibly proud of all that Gates Cambridge has achieved. This exceptional programme is successfully producing the leaders that will address many of the common challenges facing humanity. As we celebrate 25 years of impact, we look forward with excitement to what the next 25 years will bring.”
*Read the full bios of the new cohort here.
