When you think about academics who make a difference in the world, you may imagine scientists who have invented new technologies, new treatments or vaccines, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But there are many ways to make a difference and to have an impact as this year’s cohort of Gates Cambridge Scholars show.
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; this remains the largest single donation to a UK university. It funds international postgraduate students from across the globe and from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds because it recognises that the global challenges we face require the input of the widest diversity of thinking.
Since the first class in 2001, Gates Cambridge has awarded 2,081 scholarships to scholars from 111 countries who represent more than 600 universities globally, and more than 80 academic departments and all 31 Colleges at Cambridge.
