I am a junior at the University of Hong Kong majoring in History and Korean Studies. I have always been deeply interested in issues related to migration, displacement, and refuge in East Asia.
I conducted a research titled "Bridging Policy and Community: How Government and Locals Shaped Refugee Experiences in 1990s Korea and 1960s Hong Kong" in 2025 for my first summer and looking forward, I want to equip myself with hands-on experience interacting with refugees to better understand their lived realities. To that end, I will be volunteering with Offene Arme in Chios, Greece, during the summer of 2026.
I am interested in exploring career pathways in academia, NGOs, or policy research. I am always happy to connect with others working on migration, displacement, and related fields—please feel free to reach out!
Ciao! I'm Leonardo, a Laidlaw Scholar passionate about entrepreneurship, leadership, and creating meaningful change in this world. I come from Italy, and at 17, I took an uncomfortable step by moving alone to the UK to pursue my studies, determined to gain access to an English university, networks, and growth opportunities.
My research title is: "Using Points of Interest Data to Understand Retail Change in Great Britain, 2015 – 2025", which deeply connects with my entrepreneurial objectives. Through Laidlaw, I'm excited to expand my leadership capabilities, refine essential entrepreneurial skills and find new people within this amazing network! I'm passionate about engaging with Laidlaw's diverse global community, exchanging perspectives, and fostering long-lasting connections. I look forward to contributing my experiences, collaborating with fellow scholars, and continuously growing as both a leader and an individual.
Please feel free to connect; I’m genuinely excited to share ideas, collaborate, and explore innovative solutions together!
Leonardo Linkedin leonardogareri05@gmail.com
Hii, I'm Claudia, a student at HKU.
Hi!
I’m Katya, a third-year English and French student at the University of Leeds and part of the 2025/26 Laidlaw Scholar cohort. I am currently an Events and Marketing Intern at the Laidlaw Foundation.
My research project topic in 2025 was titled ‘Distinctiveness in the Poetry Activity of the Leeds City Region’. I worked in partnership with the National Poetry Centre to conduct interviews with key stakeholders in the poetry scene, which enabled me to draw conclusions about the levels of connectivity and accessibility in Leeds's poetry scene.
In the second year of the programme, I completed my LiA in Auckland, New Zealand, volunteering as a Community Engagement and Media Intern at Youth Arts New Zealand to amplify youth creativity through storytelling and community engagement.
I’m originally from Russia but moved to Slovenia for political reasons when I was 15, then to the UK at 19, and just completed an academic year abroad in Canada, so I’ve had a fair share of adapting to new places. Moving countries meant leaving behind everything I knew, including eight years of acrobatic gymnastics, but it also helped me become more open to change. I see each new chapter as a chance to grow, connect, and tell meaningful stories.
Outside of uni, you’ll probably find me at the gym (a post-acrobatics obsession), with my nose in a book, or planning my next trip—I’ve been to 36 countries so far and don’t plan on slowing down!
Hi, I’m Katie McGowan, a Psychology undergraduate at the University of Leeds and a 2025 Laidlaw Scholar.
My academic interests centre around human behaviour, social influence, and cultural psychology. This summer, I’m researching how cultural background and perceived empathy in artificial intelligence influence consumer trust — a project that brings together my fascination with social psychology and cross-cultural dynamics.
Outside of academia, I’m passionate about women’s rights, youth leadership, and community impact. I’ve volunteered with organisations including Let Me Know (LMK) and Jewish Women’s Aid (JWA), helping to raise awareness around healthy relationships and gender-based violence. I’m also a Holocaust Educational Ambassador, committed to promoting dialogue, reflection, and education around collective memory and human rights.
I currently serve as a School Representative for Psychology, advocating for students and working with staff to ensure that student feedback leads to meaningful change. Leadership, empathy, and representation are values that guide everything I do.
Outside of my academic and voluntary work, I love travel and adventure — I hold an Advanced Open Water Scuba Diving certification, and I’m always looking for new ways to explore both above and below the surface.
I'm especially interested in how research and leadership can create real-world change, and I’m always open to connecting with others who share those goals.
Map Tanyawadee Chalmers
SDG Impact Lab Administrator, Oxford SDG Impact Lab - University of Oxford
Hello! My name is Mayowa and I am an operations director with a background in architecture and interior design, bringing over eight years of experience in the real estate and design industries. I have led design teams, optimized processes, and driven operational efficiency to improve business performance.
Currently, I am pursuing an MBA at IE Business School, where I am focused on expanding my leadership and business expertise to drive operational excellence and strategic innovation. As a Laidlaw Scholar, I am committed to research and leadership initiatives that foster industry transformation and efficiency. After my MBA, I aim to transition into management or strategy consulting, leveraging my expertise in operations and business strategy to solve complex challenges and drive sustainable growth.
Laidlaw Scholar and International MBA graduate with over a decade of international experience in economic research, financial conferences, and stakeholder engagement across Africa, the Americas, and Europe. I am passionate about translating complex policy and financial topics into accessible conversations and building meaningful connections across institutions and communities. As Secretary of the Women in Business Board, I remain committed to strengthening the Laidlaw network and supporting initiatives that empower ethical and inclusive leadership.
Bringing Global Perspective & Proven Expertise to Drive Impact Impact and a global mindset have been part of my life since I first began traveling and living in different countries. From the Caucasus region to Europe, Asia, and the US, I’ve seen firsthand how creative ideas, creative thinking, collaborative diverse teams, partnerships, and human-centred leadership can transform communities, organizations, and even countries. Currently, as an International MBA candidate at IE Business School, I am expanding my expertise into digital business, transformation & innovation, and ethical leadership - building on 9+ years of cross-sector, cross-cultural experience in driving impactful outcomes in diverse environments. • Deep understanding of cultural nuances and behaviors that cross boundaries. • A proven track record in relationship building, partnership management, negotiation, project & operations management, and strategic planning. • Orchestrated 80+ projects, events ranging from small-scale workshops to international conferences, forums, and expos. • Strong expertise in cross-cultural and cross-functional communication with government officials, multinational companies, CEO's, executives, and senior managers. Stakeholder management. • Experience contributing to innovation-driven projects (tech & Edtech), with strong skills in leveraging technology for organizational advancement. • Leadership in mentoring teams, capacity building, driving collaboration, and achieving results in diverse settings. • A creative and tech-savvy approach to problem-solving and innovation. Beyond my professional work, I’m a traveler, life-long learner, writer, and dancer—passions that keep me curious, adaptive, and deeply connected to people from all walks of life.
Hello! I've directed the Laidlaw Scholars Program at Brown University since 2023. I care deeply about lifting up the next generation of leaders, change-makers, and engaged scholars to create a more just and equitable world. My PhD is in U.S. History and Gender Studies with a focus on families, childhood and youth. Send me a message if you'd like to connect!
My Clifton Strengths are: Achiever, Relator, Strategic, Learner, Individualization
Kate Ivanchenko
Student Employability Officer, Laidlaw Programme Coordinator, Trinity College Dublin
I am the Programme Manager for the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership & Research Programme at Trinity College Dublin. Before joining the Careers and Development Service at Trinity College Dublin, I have been looking after a portfolio of open enrolment short executive education courses at Trinity and have over 10 years of experience in admissions, event coordination and higher education management across Ireland, United Kingdom and Ukraine.
I am currently an International MBA candidate at IE Business School, supported by the Laidlaw Women Scholarship, where I am expanding my knowledge in global business strategy, corporate governance, and technology-driven solutions for organizational management. With over ten years of experience in internal audit and governance within Kazakhstan’s mining and metallurgy industry, I have contributed to transformative initiatives, including audit system automation, ERP integration, and sustainable reporting processes.
My academic and professional journey has equipped me with skills in change management, process improvement, and corporate policy development. As I progress through my MBA, I am particularly interested in exploring new perspectives on sustainability in business and fostering inclusive organizational cultures. Proficient in English, Russian, and Kazakh, with intermediate Spanish skills, I am eager to connect with and learn from a diverse community of forward-thinking leaders.