Final-year Durham student studying Politics; President of Durham Laidlaw Scholars' Organisation; Incoming ESRC-funded MA-PhD student in NINE DTP. My research so far has covered ideological identity in left-wing student activism, examining the interplay of social movement theory and the philosophy of identity, and my general research interests include citizenship education, democratic theory and the occasional bit of political anthropology. Outside of my studies it's mainly twentieth-century literature, cocktails and cooking!

I am an Anthropology student at Durham with a particular interest in global health. My research will focus on neonatal health and behaviour patterns of newborns, with a particular interest relating to the North-East. Outside of Anthropology I enjoy modern history, cooking and learning German.

I am a First Year in Columbia College interested in majoring in either History or Anthropology—my interests are pretty much exactly in between the two. I am interested in combining my two fields of interest while looking at the legacy of notorious urban planner Robert Moses and his counterpart Jane Jacobs. I am interested no in what Moses built, but looking at myth created around him, and in particular the debates created between him and Jacobs. Through this research, I wants to reexamine how this debate was constructed and how it informs modern day planning discussion.

Hi! I'm currently a journalism and Environmental Chemistry student at the University of Toronto. I like to read, dance, and do yoga. I am also a MAJOR Foodie and cook all the time. My favorite classes this semester has been Intro to Journalism, Mandarin, and Stats! I also talk about social journalism and live-stream in my free time.

Hello! As a student of psychology and economics, I have always been fascinated by the logic and illogic of human behaviour. This interest has driven me to pursue a rich diversity of projects and ideas - ranging from documenting the landscape of online Islamophobia in China under the Laidlaw Scholars Programme, to solving policy problems in the Prime Minister’s Office of Singapore through the lens of behavioural economics. Next summer, I will be travelling to Kenya to examine how the mobile financing system M-Pesa has succeeded at reaching the hardest to reach. With the Scott Lab in OISE, I investigate the overlooked experiences of male perpetrators of domestic violence in the child welfare system. Under the supervision of my professors, I also work tirelessly with my peers to advocate for culturally-informed and just mental health services for students locally and abroad. In October, we published our first project - a photo essay examining the relationship between social exclusion and mental health for internal migrants in China. The essay can be found here: https://movinginmovingout.shorthandstories.com/index.html In everything that I do, I am motivated to seek out the strange, the surprising, and the subtle. I believe that such hidden truths can be operationalised into insights that can improve the lived realities of others, one step at a time. If you have an idea you’d like to share, please feel free to reach out. Thanks for stopping by!

I'm originally from Boston, Massachusetts and currently studying International Relations and Social Anthropology at the University of St Andrews. 

Laidlaw Scholar Researching "How people use their time during journeys?". In summer 2018 I conducted ethnographies in London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam on trains and in Leeds on buses. Summer 2019 I have created a survey and done 2 focus groups. I visited the Royal Geographical Society Conference at Cardiff University in 2018 and will attend the same event in London this year, presenting my poster. In addition to my Laidlaw Scholarship, I have recently completed the Q-Step quantitative training placement at Leeds City Council. This project focused on "redefining the city's boundary". I am an incoming Equality and Inclusion project assistant at the University of Leeds. I have previously had nearly 3 years experience as a Maths Tutor, during my studies. I have been an open day ambassador for the School of Geography. I have also worked as a kitchen assistant.

I am an Archaeology student at the University of York. My main areas of research interest are focused around using primatology to teach us about the origins of our own species and our behaviours. However, my Laidlaw research project is giving me the unique opportunity to explore another area of Archaeology, ancient plant DNA. My project, entitled, 'Historic Corn Smut: Using ancient DNA methods to understand the risk to UK agriculture', is allowing me to learn about ancient DNA methods during my undergraduate degree. This is something I would not normally get the opportunity to do until masters level. The project is an exciting insight into the evolution of a particular fungal pathogen and looking at the risk this evolutionary progress poses to farming in the UK. As well as being a busy student, I am also a mother of two children under five years of age. Combining these two things has taught me the importance of time management, prioritising and has made me even more determined to succeed.

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.

I have spent the last 10 years working on the concept of mental fitness, as counter to the old stigmatized concept of mental health. I am hugely interested in how people can develop resilience and endurance. This has led me to studying applied psychology. My Laidlaw scholarship research project has been looking into the effects of emotion on the performance of Ultramarathon runners at distances of both 60 miles and 110 miles. This is the first sports psychology study that has attempted to measure this actually within-race rather than just pre and post race. Since suffering a nervous breakdown in 2009, and finally admitting to himself his own mental health and alcohol problems. A period of his life that is now looked upon as the positive beginning of a new chapter. Paul has gone on to build an awarding social enterprise BCT Aspire CIC, completed numerous high-profile endurance challenges and applied his learning to helping others and now supporting his academic journey as a mature student. BCT Aspire CIC has over the last decade delivered thousands of successful youth sessions and activity programmes for local children & young people on Teesside. Currently BCT Aspire delivers five youth sessions every week in Billingham including; Youth clubs, fitness sessions, music lessons, Duke of Edinburgh Awards and community events all with a voluntary team. A former talented Rugby player who represented England North at his peak, Paul’s attempt to get to grips with his problems led him to begin walking. This resulted in a 3000 miles adventure spanning the length of Europe, from the Southern Tip of Italy to the edge of the Orkney Islands, also passing through France, England & Scotland. All completed without support and relying on the human kindness of strangers. This has been followed up by running single stage ultramarathons up to 160 miles and last year completed the Wainwrights Coast to Coast completely barefoot to raise funds for his work and supporting his belief in positive thinking. Paul’s first two EBooks from the “Jumping the Cliff” series have topped the Amazon EBook charts for both Depression, Anxiety & Mental Health sections, with his next book from his six-week journey across Italy now out in paperback. Paul started his speaking career talking to pupils at a school with children who had behavioural problems, a place where Paul gained the courage to talk about his own way of trying to reset his own learnt behaviours. Since then he has given talks to a cross section of people including business people, professional sportsmen, youth groups, colleges & universities. Paul has also won numerous Business & Community Awards for his diverse range of work including; Entrepreneurs Forum Emerging Talent 2012; Evening Gazette’s Community Champion for Children & Young People 2012; Gazette Community Awards Finalist twice (Ambassador & Fundraising), Teesside Philanthropic Charity – Teesside Hero Paul is a qualified outdoor leader with BCT Aspire CIC who enjoys sharing these skills with people aiming to build confidence and also relaxing on the hills with his dog Molly and now his young son Pavel. Paul currently mixes his role as Managing Director of BCT Aspire, with speaking work, and studying applied psychology at Durham University. This also includes holding a prestigious Laidlaw scholarship for emerging global research talent, currently researching the mental approaches of endurance athletes. Furthermore, a trustee of Catalyst Stockton on Tees the VCSE infrastructure body for the area.

Anthropology and Sociology Undergraduate; from Bristol, UK. I am completing a research project on narrative transmission and reproduction, looking at how oral accounts of geological events are passed down accurately over generations. By understanding how narratives are constructed I am keen to explore interdisciplinary approaches, particularly between Anthropology, Linguistics, Computer-Human Interaction, and Cognition. Other interests include literature, art and photography, architecture, astronomy, and outdoor pursuits.

My Laidlaw Research is set to explore World Cave art as an emotional and educational vehicle to decolonizing practices through the use of new technologies. Starting with a documentary pilot, I only hope to help shed more light onto conversations that are today more vital than ever, in such a beautiful yet maddening world unquestionably still lost in the dark. Currently chasing my childhood's 'American dream' with an enduring will, I am currently studying for a BA of Archaeology & Heritage at the University of York with the aim of pursuing a career in Museums in the United States. I previously worked professionally in the international film and television industry in Australia and France, including film productions as an independent filmmaker where I have focused on Australia’s colonial history. My ambition is to unite my creative side to a career in Heritage Archaeology to explore decolonizing practices in global context, and help blaze new trails towards a more inclusive future.

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.

Economics scholar researching my own alternative to GDP!

BA Sociology and Anthropology | MSc Public Health  Especially interested in health inequality, gender studies, and maternal health, and health systems analysis.  My Laidlaw research project explored the everyday life experiences of 'fat' women in England and the impact of stigma, body privilege and gender roles on their experiences in public spaces. 

The University of Durham joined the Laidlaw Scholars Undergraduate Research & Leadership Programme in 2017. This visionary programme builds on Lord Laidlaw’s commitment to supporting undergraduate student development and education. It gives undergraduate students the research, leadership and networking skills they will need to achieve their academic and professional goals in the future.

I am currently studying Geography BSc at Durham University, specialising in terrestrial morphological processes, in particular, the effect of land-use change on coastal erosion and its socioeconomic impacts. Have got a job lined in up in the environmental consulting sector, focused on Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for large infrastructure projects such as High Speed 2 and the Heathrow Expansion.