Hello! I'm Hannah, a second-year Geography student at Durham University. I am delighted to have been accepted on to the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme as part of the 2025 cohort. My research last summer focussed on weight discrimination and weight discrimination training among fitness professionals. The project evaluated the nature and extent of weight discrimination within the UK fitness industry, with a specific focus on fitness professionals' roles in perpetuating or challenging such biases. Through both playing and coaching sports in deprived inner-city areas, I have directly experienced the physical, mental and social benefits of sports and fitness on individuals and communities so am passionate about reducing the barriers that prevent individuals from engaging in fitness environments. Furthermore, I have witnessed the negative impact of weight discrimination on young athletes, which motivates my interest in potentially creating a successful weight discrimination training programme for fitness professionals. This summer I am really excited to go to Mexico City with Makesense for my Leadership in Action project.  Outside of Laidlaw, I am part of Durham University Hockey and Netball Clubs and Collingwood College Boat Club. I also love to play the Piano and Cello, as well as being involved in Durham University Concert Band on the Oboe. 

Hi! I am an undergraduate Psychology student at Durham University and a 2025/26 Laidlaw scholar. So far in my journey, I have undertaken research into Formula 1 fan marketing and gendered motivation, which involved designing, carrying out, analysing, and presenting my research, including collecting data at the British Grand Prix and interviewing Ferrari personnel. I am currently in the final stages of the programme, working in Mexico City designing educational tools to teach children about consent. Follow along!

Hi! I'm Eve and I'm studying Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures (with German and Turkish) at Trinity College Dublin. My research project focussed on the challenges facing Vergangenheitsbewältigung in modern Germany, including rising antisemitism, the 2015 migratory wave, subsequent refugee integration and developments in the Israel-Palestine conflict. I investigated how to tackle this issue in a way that appropriately condemns antisemitism and safeguards the wellbeing and integration of Germany's Muslim community. In addition, I considered wider questions surrounding migrant assimilation and national identity.  In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my friends, sea-swimming, hiking and reading. I also love to travel and am very interested in learning languages and connecting with people from across the world, so please feel free to reach out - I would love to chat about anything project (or otherwise) related!

Hi! My name is Liam Jones and I am a Laidlaw Scholar from the 25/26 cohort. I am an undergraduate student reading Modern Languages and Cultures at Durham University, St. Cuthbert's Society College. I study French, Arabic, and Persian too! I am interested in international affairs, peacekeeping, and linguistics.  During my first year, I completed a research project in French musicology throughout my 6-week research summer, which was thrilling and I managed to learn a lot about French linguistics, as well as the evolution of the French language, and music too - including competency using music software which I had never had the chance to do before. I am from Nairobi, Kenya, but I now live in Loughborough!

Hi! My name is Evie, and I am a 2025 Laidlaw Scholar from Trinity College Dublin. I am originally from California, but have been living in Ireland full-time for 2 years pursuing a double major in History and Political Science.  For my research project, I’m exploring the emotional and psychological barriers that deter politically interested women from pursuing careers in public service in Ireland. By examining how male and female students respond emotionally to key aspects of political life—such as campaigning, election day, governance, and reelection—I hope to better understand gendered dynamics of political ambition and encourage more inclusive, emotionally aware framing of the political sphere.  I’m excited to connect with fellow scholars and members of the Laidlaw community! 

Hey ! I'm Arthur, a second year student at EPFL, currently studying physics. I love learning how things around me work, especially in physics and mathematics. I can't wait to meet lots of new people through the Laidlaw program ! I'm currently doing my internship at LASTRO, an astrophysics lab, and work on developping technologies (such as quantum computers and physics informed neural networks) to study the properties of dark matter. I love playing sports (running, hiking, tennis) and as a long time drummer, I also enjoy playing/listening to music. I am also open to any new experience, so feel free to reach out to me :)

I'm interested in learning everything about how the working class and common people of the world can work together to make their lives better. My main focus is developing skills to be an effective labor organizer and union leader.  I also have experience with policy research, legal advocacy, and statistics. 

Hi everyone! I run the CraftHER Leadership-in-action program by @Swara - Voice of Women. Here's our IG: www.instagram.com/craftherbyswara/ I’m Asha Scaria Vettoor, an entrepreneur and Laidlaw Scholar from the University of Oxford. I run Swara, a social enterprise based in India that creates income opportunities for women through ethical fashion and storytelling. We also host CraftHER, a 6-week Leadership-in-Action program that brings Laidlaw scholars from around the world to Kerala to learn from women-led enterprises, grassroots organisations, and artisan communities. I’m passionate about building bridges between global learners and local changemakers in my community and always up for a conversation on social entrepreneurship, ethical supply chains, or running programs in remote parts of India.

Hello! My name is Sara, and I'm a soon to be second-year computer science undergrad student at EPFL, in Switzerland. I am passionate about technology, and how it can be used to help communities. My research this past summer was in system security, a branch of cybersecurity. I expanded and improved the accuracy of Magma, a benchmark for fuzzers - a software testing technique using randomized input (data) to reveal the faults in the program. This technique helps finding bugs (errors) that would not  have been reached using other popular tests. My goal is to find and implement Proof-of-Concepts - files that prove that a specific faulty part of the code can be reached and can trigger an error (a crash).  This summer, I will be joining HOOP Perù in Arequipa, Peru, to be an assistant teacher in their coding classes. These classes introduce tools common in many work places today in an accessible way to teenagers. This will also be a great opportunity to share my passion for computer science with others, as well as to put what I have learned this past year to use. Besides coding, I enjoy all kinds of sports (currently (beach) volleyball and basketball), as well as reading. I also enjoy spending time in nature, be it on a hike or just in a park, or by a lake. I love traveling, discovering new places and cultures, and meeting new people. I enjoy meeting new people and sharing perspectives, so please don't hesitate to contact me!

Hi! I'm Shrey, a second year economics student at Cambridge University. I'm interested in game theory and understanding human behaviour, which is why I am a co-author of research titled: "The Cooperation puzzle: What really drives people to cooperate?"

I am an Archaeology undergraduate at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. I am interested in biological anthropology and human behaviour, especially cooperation and how it has evolved.  This summer I worked on a project titled 'The Cooperation Puzzle: What drives people to cooperate?' with my project partner Shrey. 

Hi! I’m Sophie Kleina, a Psychological and Behavioural Sciences student at the University of Cambridge. I’m passionate about language learning and preservation, which is why my Laidlaw research project focuses on the Kashubian language- a regional and Indigenous language of northern Poland, and a heritage I’m proud to be part of. My academic interests span sociology, linguistics, psychology, and education, and I’m especially drawn to work that supports cultural diversity, educational access, and meaningful social change. I care deeply about doing work that helps people, strengthens communities, and protects the richness of human language and identity. I’m always eager to learn from others and collaborate on projects that make a difference- feel free to connect!

Hi! My name is James and I am a Medicine Student at the University of Cambridge. My research project is titled 'Can Helminths be Considered 'Old Friends' to the Human Immune System and Metabolism?'.  If you're interested in learning more about my research, or simply starting a conversation, I'd love to connect.

Hi! I'm Hannah, a second year Undergrad studying French and Latin at the University of Cambridge. I have a particular interest in Early Modern French Literature and History. In my free time, I love spending time outdoors and doing sports - from climbing mountains and running to going for walks with friends and rowing for my college boat club. I'm definitely happiest when outside in nature! I am also an avid reader, and I adore travelling, exploring new places and getting to know new people.

Currently a third year medical student at the University of Cambridge intercalating pathology.  I have a passion for immunological and metabolic based disease and researching into the scientific basis of these.  My project was titled 'Exploring Autoimmune Features in Type 2 Diabetes: A study on Autoantibody Prevalence' and followed a wet and dry lab based project looking into the possibility of GLP1 autoantibodies in individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. 

Hello there! I'm Ashiya, a member of the 2025 Laidlaw Leadership & Research Programme Cohort. I am a student at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, pursuing a double major in Peace, Conflict & Justice and Ethics, Society & Law. My passion lies at the intersection of education and the governance of digital technologies, particularly artificial intelligence. I am currently exploring how this affects children facing socioeconomic disadvantage through my Leadership-in-Action project in North-East England. This builds on my previous work in student voice advocacy, my research of Indigenous-led education initiatives in Canada for my first Laidlaw summer, and my new role as a Center for International Governance Innovation Digital Policy Hub Fellow.  I look forward to reading and contributing to the incredible body of work on this platform. Outside of research, I love to read, explore, learn new things and make new friends - please feel free to reach and connect anytime! :)