Hello! I'm a second year Biology student at the University of Leeds and I'm part of the 2024 Scholars cohort. I have been trying to figure people out for a long time and I thought what better way than to explore the wonders of neuroscience in my first year research project!? If you want to chat about books, the economic/political state of the world right now, or just life - drop me a message!

My name is Zala Bhan, and I’m a Laidlaw Scholar at Barnard College studying Applied Mathematics with an interest in biostatistics. For me, the Laidlaw program is a tribute to my cultural roots as a Kashmiri Pandit (KP), the ethnic minority of Kashmir, and an effort to preserve and give voice to a history that’s often overlooked. In my first summer, I explored whether a truth and reconciliation framework could offer a path for the reintegration of KPs following their forced exodus of over 300,000 people in 1990. Through case studies of the South African TRC, Bosnia’s post-war efforts, and Chile’s reconciliation process, I examined what healing, accountability, and return may look like in the context of Kashmir. For my LiA, I’m building an oral history archive to preserve the memories and voices of those who lived through the exodus, alongside personal artifacts and memorabilia. This archive aims to preserve lived experiences, support future research, and spark conversations about justice, memory, and belonging. I hope to continue this work long after the summer ends, deepening the archive and expanding its reach.

Audrey is Administrative Assistant I of the Horizons Office at the University of Hong Kong. Audrey has been working in the field of international education in Hong Kong since 2010; her portfolio of work spans from programme development and implementation at the undergraduate, postgraduate and faculty level, marketing and promotion, organisation of international conference and events, and providing secretarial support to various committees pertaining to scholarships, fellowships and international mobility schemes.  Her current portfolio includes management of the HKU Laidlaw Scholars Programme, Undergraduate Research Fellowship Programme, short-term experiential learning programmes outside of Hong Kong, and HKU-Common Purpose UK leadership development programmes in Bangalore, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Hanoi. Currently she is setting up two new initiatives, namely EUREKA and The Hong Kong Project, where students will have the opportunities to undertake research methods online course and conduct a EUREKA research project in the former, and collaborate with community partners by proposing practical solutions to real-life problems in the latter. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in TESL and has an MA (Hons) in Translation from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. 

Andrew Singleton has recently joined the Tufts-Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Programme team as a Programme Administrator and is excited to continue to elevate the Laidlaw Programming for current and future scholars. He joined the programme from Venture Café, which connects and educates the entrepreneurial and innovation community in Boston through programs/spaces/events and many other cities around the world. He has a B.S. from MIT in Biology and a background in social-impact enterprises, wind-power, user-computer-interfaces, as well as computer network design. In his spare time, Andrew enjoys travel, hiking, and wildlife photography.

I'm an Ethnicity and Race Studies/Political Science double major at Columbia! I'm interested in immigration studies, interdisciplinary political science research, and community organizing work. 

Dung Tran is a sophomore in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, majoring in International Politics with a concentration on foreign policy and international relations and a minor in government. He is a Fellow at the Royal Society of Arts, and interned at the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He is involved with the Laidlaw Scholars programme, the Georgetown Social Innovation and Public Service Fund, and the Initiative for U.S.-China Dialogue on Global Issues. A native of Hanoi, Vietnam, and growing up in New York City and Kuala Lumpur, Dung is passionate about the interdisciplinary human sciences and international relations, aspiring to pursue a career in the diplomatic service of his home country. His Laidlaw Scholars project examined the sui generis of Vietnamese Buddhism and its impacts on the development of contemporary Vietnamese shared identity.

I am a Physics student at the University of St Andrews excited about theoretical physics and its applications to industry. I quite like programming as well, and seeing where code can be used to model physics. I also have an interest in improving the speed with which the latest scientific developments can be implemented into humanitarian aid. 

Alex was the Programme Director of the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme from September 2021 - May 2024.  Prior to joining the Laidlaw Foundation Alex spent over a decade at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, where he most recently managed the university’s Laidlaw Scholars Programme. In addition, Alex taught leadership courses and guest-lectured internationally on the subjects of strategy and leadership. A bilingual speaker, dual national and keen traveller, Alex has lived, visited and worked in several countries around the world. During this time, he has had a unique opportunity to encounter and explore different cultures and working environments, experiencing first-hand what good leadership can achieve. His passion for this topic is driven by these experiences and a desire to challenge people to unlock their full leadership potential. Alex holds an MBA from the Open University and a Master of Research in Management from the University of St Andrews. He has also obtained Associate Fellow status with the Higher Education Academy. In his spare time, Alex is an avid skier and volunteers with a local guide dog organisation.

Hello! I was Laidlaw scholar in 2019, and I studied national, regional, and local identity in northern Tajikistan through the lens of women's fashion.  For a year after graduating, I worked for the UN Mine Action Service which removes landmines from conflict and post-conflict regions. I then worked for the Laidlaw Foundation 2021-22 and completed a Master's Degree in Anthropology and Development Management at the London School of Economics. Now I'm working with the UN on innovative finance for biodiversity conservation, focusing on marine ecosystems. Please feel free to reach out on the network, on LinkedIn, or by email. I'm always happy to meet new people and chat.

Hello! I'm Emma, a 2017 Undergraduate Leadership & Research Programme alumna and one of the Founding Co-Presidents of the Laidlaw Alumni Society. My 2017 Undergraduate Research project focused on UK legislation which requires certain organisations to publish an annual statement about the efforts they are making to stop modern slavery in their supply chains. In particular, I looked at whether this legislation was really making a difference in the fight against modern slavery in supply chains. At the time, I concluded that the legislation was largely ineffective - however, you'll be pleased to know that, just a few years later, topics such as modern slavery in supply chains have risen much further up the corporate agenda (for various reasons largely unrelated to the UK legislation). These days, I work as a lawyer. For the first few years of my career, I advised corporate clients on ESG disputes and regulation (including matters relating to modern slavery statements!). I am about to start a new, exciting chapter of my legal career, working to develop two nuclear projects which will help the UK to achieve net zero by 2050 and ensure that its energy supply is secure.

Emory Southwick (they/them) is postgraduate researcher at Newcastle University, formally a Laidlaw scholar at Durham University, UK, where they achieved a First Class BA with Honours in Music at George Stephenson College. Emory has a research interest in those underrepresented in music, focusing on marginalised genders and LGBTQ+ people. Currently, they are working with Contemporary Music for All (CoMA) and has also set up their own business as an artist. Currently, they are working to create a queer-focussed sober space in Durham.

Hello! I am a multidisciplinary designer and have been with the Laidlaw Foundation for over five years, working to strengthen our global Scholar community and amplify the impact of our programmes. My work lives somewhere between design, education, and anthropology, usually with sticky notes involved. I studied Human Sciences as an undergrad and am currently doing a Master’s in Anthropology at UCL. Degrees I struggle to explain at parties. Born and raised in Kazakhstan 🇰🇿 Outside of work? Probably in the ceramics studio, wandering aimlessly with a podcast in my ears, attempting a handstand, or watching far too much TV. Big fan of nature and very small bugs.

Hi! I'm an undergraduate scholar from the University of Toronto and am interested in inclusion and mental health. With my research project, I hope to explore how we improve mental health support and treatments to make them more accessible and inclusive of Canadian Muslims. Beyond my research interests, I enjoy connecting with people and learning from people's diverse backgrounds and unique experiences. I'm a keen listener and love learning new things!

I'm a third year studying History & Hispanic Studies (Spanish & Catalan) at Durham. My Laidlaw project is about the impact of informal British empire in Uruguay, where I spent part of my year abroad working in the National Historic Museum. In my spare time at university, I'm part of Durham's debating team and I'm a student ambassador for the Matariki Global Citizenship Programme.

I'm a graduate of Columbia University ('23!), where I studied Film. I used to work at Google as a growth strategist, and at YouTube as a content strategist. My current work centers on multimedia and multidisciplinary art, blending media experiments, writing, and ongoing film projects. During the Laidlaw Fellowship, I examined Napoleon's influence on the political attitudes present in Le rouge et le noir by Stendhal and War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. The following year, I worked in business development for Tortoise Media, a news publication based out of London. Feel free to reach out and connect!