My name is Alice (she/her) and I have just finished my first year at the University of Toronto studying Cognitive Science, and Philosophy as a National Scholar. I am from a small province called Newfoundland and Labrador, but studied for two years at Pearson College UWC in Victoria, British Columbia. I am really passionate about mental illness - specifically about how our conception of mental illness shapes the way we treat people with mental illness in medical institutions, and in society. I am also very invested in the climate justice movement. 

Hi, my name is Aleena Mehta and I am a sophomore at Barnard College, majoring in Economics with a minor in Political Science. I grew up in Jammu and Kashmir, India, and hence have always been fascinated by the field of geopolitics. My research at the Laidlaw Foundation would revolve around extrapolating a relationship between state sovereignty and civil rights violations in the Kashmir crisis. This includes understanding the threat to the autonomy and stability of non-state actors in periods of territorial conflicts while investigating the recent socio-economic developments in the region.

Hi! I'm originally from Hull, East Yorkshire but I'm currently a second year undergraduate student studying for a BA in Linguistics and ab initio Italian at the University of York. Alongside my studies, I am also the current blog coordinator for the University Feminist Society. Being a Laidlaw Scholar allows me to research the success of speech and language therapies in my project entitled 'Hidden behind a smile: acquisition and societal perception of speech sounds in children with cleft lip and palate.'!  My pronouns are she/they, please feel free to use either! 

Currently, I am in my second year studying Geography BA with Quantitative Methods at the University of Leeds. 

Hi, my names Victoria Lynn and I'm currently in my final year studying LLB Law at the University of Leeds! My research focuses on the perceptions of school staff of autistic girls in secondary education, a topic which is heavily under-represented in the wider Autism literature due to the misconception of Autism being a 'male' condition, largely due to difference in presentation, and a higher number of autistic girls masking their Autistic traits. This topic is one which is also close to home, having had many of my own concerns throughout education regarding Dyslexia, which was often dismissed as I was not deemed to be "struggling enough." Both my own experience and my knowledge learned through researching this topic has inspired me to write my final year legal dissertation on the "right to inclusive education" (Article 24 of the United Nations Convention of Persons with Disabilities) of Autistic pupils in secondary education in England.

I was fortunate enough to conduct academic research under the supervision of Stephen Gethins,  Professor of Practice in International Relations at the University of St Andrews and now a sitting MP. Stephen introduced me to a truly fascinating yet often overlooked area of International Relations: sub-state and regional actors and their place in global politics, with a focus on Scotland in particular. Through this, I have developed an interest in Scotland's place in the world as a nation without an independent foreign office, but as a nation with extensive international influence and a powerful global diaspora. This topic formed the basis of my Laidlaw project, my undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation, and my PhD. I take a keen interested in other academic fields such as politics, history, and philosophy. Although an International Relations and Sociology student first and foremost, I had the opportunity of studying Ancient History and Classics alongside my degree for two years. If I were to ever win the lottery, you would find me endlessly cycling University, spending my remaining days studying Ancient History and Philosophy, Politics, Anthropology, Theology, Theoretical Physics and Maths, or whatever subject I develop an interest in down the line. Since leaving the University of St Andrews and the Laidlaw Programme, I completed an MRes degree at the University of Glasgow in Sociology and Research Methods. I received a scholarship for a PhD in Sociology at the University of Glasgow which I am completing part-time in addition to my role as Research Officer at Carers Trust Scotland - a charity supporting unpaid carers which I had previously volunteered for. My PhD is a continuation of my Scottish diaspora studies, seeking to reconcile the notion of 'civic Scottishness' with the Scottish identity of the lived diaspora.  

Hello! My name is Eleanor Campbell, and I am a 2021 Laidlaw Scholar. I am a student at Columbia University in the City of New York, and I am originally from Raleigh, NC, USA. I major in Economics and am particularly interested in Behavioral Economics. During my first year with Laidlaw, I worked with Professor Hitendra Wadhwa of the Columbia Business School in developing a leadership fellowship for aspiring young changemakers. For my Leadership in Action project, I worked with World Vision on a menstrual hygiene management campaign in West Gonja, Ghana.

Iñaki Iriarte is a Laidlaw Scholar working with UCL's Institute of the Americas on researching political representation in Brazil.

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.

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!

Hi, my name is Ecem and I’m a current architecture student, research assistant, and web/graphic designer! Internalizing the current issues of cities including crisis management and housing problem, I work on multiple volunteer, mentorship, and leadership projects. My research for the Laidlaw Program revolves around how architecture can be designed as a crisis management tool and its applications in the past, present, and future.

I am a writer and futurist focussing on the geopolitical impact of political polarisation. I have a solid foundation in geopolitics, foresight, and national security strategy, gained through a Master's degree in International Relations from King's College London and experience in research and convening roles. I currently serve as a convenor of the Next Generation Foresight Practitioner (NGFP) Peace & Security Hub at the School of International Futures. In this role, I bring together a global network of strategic foresight practitioners working on conflict resolution and peacebuilding. I also lead a Working Group which explores the impact of political polarisation on peace and security globally. Through advocacy, project collaboration, and policy paper co-authoring, we aim to contribute to a more peaceful global future. I completed my Laidlaw Scholarship at the University of Leeds where I studied Ancient History and Philosophy. My research project was on what impact the UK's membership of the EU has had on the UK's foreign and defence policy. I'm an accomplished participant in leadership training programs like the Laidlaw Scholarship and Mentora Youth Changemaker Fellowship.

I'm a medical student at the University of York interested in immunology, public health, as well as education and leadership within health care! My research project is about understanding how mutations in immune cells impact a certain group of rare bone marrow disorders (MPNs) that can lead to cancer.

Hi everyone! I'm a Laidlaw scholar of the 2021 cohort currently on "The Global Capstone Project." My project consists of working in a group with 2 other amazing scholars to filter references, read texts and essentially produce an academic paper on the UN's sustainable development goals relating to higher education.

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.

Hi👋🏾 I’m Pearls I am a final year Law student at the University of Leeds. I recently completed a placement year at The Walt Disney Company as a CPGP Contract Management Intern (hence the 'industrial' next to my degree title) My first-year research project looked at the way game-based learning could be incorporated into Multi-Academy Trusts (aka MATs) to improve the academic attainment and classroom engagement of GCSE-year black students. My Leadership-in-Action project was with MakeSense and focused on empowering minority communities within Mexico City.