Columbia University is delighted to offer two Laidlaw programmes to its students. The first is the Research and Leadership programme given by Columbia College to first year undergraduate students to allow them to get involved in the university’s research, working with academic staff on questions of global significance. The second is the Lord Irvine A.S. Laidlaw ’65 Scholarship at Columbia Business School, which provides crucial financial assistance to full-time female MBA students each year, giving them access to an unparalleled business education and network. To date, over 300 exceptional women have received Laidlaw Scholarships.

I am a cultural historian by training, and I oversee undergraduate research and fellowships at Columbia. I also have the pleasure of serving as the coordinator of Columbia's Laidlaw program. Feel free to reach out to me if you have questions about coming to Columbia to pursue research and/or community engagement!

As a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, I was raised in a cultural melting pot that sparked my passion for community engagement at the local and global level. At the age of 16, I earned my first full scholarship to study abroad in Berlin, where I began working with refugees from the Middle East and Central Asia. I later graduated high school as a scholarship student at Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong, where my interest in human rights motivated me to work with Filipino and Indonesian domestic workers. Currently, I am a sophomore at Tufts University majoring in International Relations. At Tufts, I am a Tisch Scholar, a research assistant for the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, a board member for the Experimental College, a Tufts tour guide and a member of the International Club. 

My name is Jackson Lubke, and I am a sophomore at Tufts studying economics and math. My research is centered on wealth economics and equity. I am very excited to get to know other Laidlaw scholars!

Studies Theoretical Physics at the University of Leeds, currently on a year in industry at Raspberry Pi as part of the Hardware Engineering team. During my research period, I worked with academics within my department to investigate "Belonging and Engagement in a Successful Transition to University", with a particular focus on how students with less typical entry routes to higher education experience belonging. I'm always intruiged by different ways to apply the physics and mathematics from my course, with a particular interest in quantum physics, fluid dynamics and computational physics. In my free time I enjoy playing tennis, tinkering with technology, and flying light aircraft.

Hi! I'm Corey, a final-year Digital Media student at the University of Leeds. I am graduating with a First-Class degree in BA (Hons) Digital Media (International). I recently returned from my Year Abroad at the University of Rochester, where I spent the year discovering a passion for Graphic Design, furthering my interest within Media and understanding how design can be used to change the world for good. As part of my Laidlaw Research and Leadership Scholarship, I co-authored a paper discussing the benefits of Transnational Education and Higher Education Institutions globally, in a paper titled "A Global Capstone Experience: Developing and Promoting Cultural Awareness and Educational Opportunities", I also participated in Leadership Development Training and spent Summer 2022 in Viti Levu, Fiji, as part of my Leadership-in-Action project, where I collectively constructed a Community Health Clinic and Facilitated the delivery of Youth Empowerment Workshops.

Hello everyone, my name is Cesar Urzua and I am a current sophomore at Tufts University studying Biology and Child Study and Human Development. I am very excited to be a part of the Laidlaw Scholars Program and hope to be able to talk with so many other scholars soon. For my research, I will be focusing on brain response when presented to adverse childhood experiences, and how to possibly develop optimal strategies to combat chronic neural perturbations following these adverse childhood experiences. 

I'm a student of Economics at University College London and as part of the Laidlaw programme, I'm researching building applications in subaltern housing in Imperial Shimla. This is a small part of a larger project studying social geography and urban planning in three cities: Jalandhar, Nasik and Shimla.  When I'm not drowning under coursework, I write for the research division of the Economic Tribune at UCL. I also enjoy practicing Brazillian Jiu Jitsu and have recently been introduced to climbing. 

Hi, I'm Amanda Schreiner and I'm a member of the 2021 Cohort of Laidlaw Scholars at Tufts University. I'm majoring in community health and am also pre-med. In my free time I play on the women's rugby team and participate in a maternal advocacy and research club.

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 am a penultimate year economics student at University College London. I believe in taking initiatives and solving problems. Nothing excites me more than large scale impact. I'm always down to collaborate with like minded individuals.

I'm currently a senior, studying biochemistry. I'm excited to be working in the Kumar lab investigating chemical solutions to biological problems.  I aspire to perform research that is impactful and meaningful to individuals in their everyday lives. In my spare time, I enjoy dancing and hiking, as well as advocating for climate justice and civic engagement. 

Hi everyone, I am Joshua, currently serving as the Alumni Society president. I was selected for Laidlaw Research and Leadership Scholarship in 2020 at UCL. I am doing my MSc Management degree now at Imperial College London. I have experience with Entrepreneurship, Fashion, Marketing, and Data Science. Feel free to reach out to me if I can help!

Hi! My name is Ainav Rabinowitz, and I’m a rising Junior at Cornell University. I’m planning to double-major in Government and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and minor in Near Eastern Studies and Public Policy. My research project investigates the militarization of law enforcement in the Middle East, analyzing the way in which civilian police forces have become more militarized and the way militaries have taken on law enforcement responsibilities. My research will more specifically focus on the consequences of militarization on human rights over the past two decades, offering a broad overview of the Middle East as well as a closer analysis of 2-3 countries across the political spectrum. I will be working with Professor Flores-Macías, who focuses on the consequences of militarization in Latin America. Feel free to reach out! Some other facts about me: I love anything art-related (I primarily create digital illustration and acrylic paintings), and also always love sharing my favorite books:)

I am currently in my fourth year of an undergraduate degree in International Relations and Psychology at the University of St Andrews. My Laidlaw research project was (coincidentally - or maybe not?) a leadership-trait-analysis of state leaders who had been successful in navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic with limited casualties and relative freedoms retained in their respective states. During my leadership-in-action project, I supported the international publicity of the Seoul-based NGO, Database Center of North Korean Human Rights.

Hello there! My name is Aly, and I am a British undergraduate student at the University of Toronto, currently doing an International Affairs Specialist, with a Minor in Sustainability. My research project is → Linking Political orientation and Environmentalism: An analysis of changing environmental attitudes and subsequent party support in Canada. In my project, I aim to analyze the changing link between environmental attitudes and party support/political orientation in Canada, using Canadian Election Studies data from 2015 and 2019, and comparing my results with results from a previous study which carried out similar analysis on data from the 2004 and 2006 elections. I also hope to inform my analysis with a discussion of provincial differences in these links, hoping to shine a light on possible avenues towards improving engagement with voters for provincial elections which may help Canada in its terrible track record on improving its environment.