Wena Teng is a rising sophomore at Columbia University studying History and Computer Science. This summer, she is working with Professor Dorothy Ko on a comparative study of US and China's public dissent: particularly its contingency on historical movements, public policy, and art. Her independent research project focuses on how late-Qing women writers in China utilized literature and performance as interventions and how that influences contemporary dissent.

During my first summer in the Laidlaw Program, I am working with the Columbia Law School's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law to research and provide a series of write-ups to West Harlem Environmental Action Coalition on actions the federal government can take to combat climate change, with a particular focus on efforts that could benefit communities facing environmental injustice.

G'day!!  I'm a third year student at Columbia University in New York, but I live between Washington DC and Melbourne, Australia. I am planning to double major in history and politics and I am a massive history/classics nerd!  My research is looking at the history of imperialism in the U.S. and Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries through literature. I want to look into how these two countries adopted British imperialist practices into their own forms of governance. 

I'm an undergraduate from Mexico City interested in development economics, particularly as it pertains to indigenous groups and land management. Using the work of Elinor Ostrom as a framework, my research focuses on common-pool resource ownership in indigenous communities in Central Mexico, particularly in Cuetzalan, Puebla. I also work in radio and I'm really passionate about the audio form—be it radio or podcasts—as a way to transmit narratives and information.

My Laidlaw experience focuses on reframing the tourism industry to center the environment. In my first year, I developed a map of NYC's ecotourism, focused on environmental justice, circularity, and emissions reduction. In my second year in Santiago, Chile, I have collaborated with FEDETUR, the federation of tourism enterprises of Chile, to develop materials for tourism businesses to reduce their carbon footprint.

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!

Aspiring astrophysicist, intrepid traveller, loosely lingual High in the sky with ambitions in conducting inspired research to help uncover cosmic mysteries, and launch something (me) to space. Will also travel the globe at a moment's notice.

I'm a final year psychology MSci student specialising in developmental disorders. My project focuses around the development attention in infants and if certain maternal strategies scaffold joint attention and how this varies cross culturally in the UK and Uganda. I'm hoping to pursue a PhD in the future!

Hi there! I am studying the Bachelor of Science in both Molecular Biology & Biotechnology and Food & Nutritional Science. Doing and learning from research are of interest to me for better understanding of the world and unprecedented benefits to humanity of all kinds. Feel free to exchange knowledge and ideas with me!

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.

I am an undergraduate Laidlaw Scholar studying Philosophy and Politics at the University of York. I am very interested in climate education. My project investigates collective responsibility regarding climate change in the primary years of school.

I am a final-year undergraduate scholar pursuing a BA (Hons) in English Literature and Linguistics at the University of York. Besides being a scholar, I am the Arts and Humanities Subject Lead on the Scholar's Network and the 2020-22 Arts and Humanities faculty rep at the University of York! My first summer of research was based in phonetics, entitled 'The untapped potential of human language: Investigating the perception of typologically unattested and rare sounds'. In it, I get to look at phonemes that are not commonly found in speech, if at all! My Leadership in Action project was based around the experiences of students with disabilities and long-term health conditions when accessing Higher Education in the UK. I'm currently creating teacher training based on the paper I wrote for this project, and working with UCAS to help inform UK university admissions policy. 

I think that happiness is about being committed to something that helps and supports others, and this is why I am so fascinated by research and leadership. They give us the opportunity and responsibility to support and protect our people, especially the most vulnerable. I began my journey in children's homes back in Rome, in Italy. Since then I have been volunteering with children and young people trying to facilitate resilience and recovery from early adversities as my main focus point. My Laidlaw Scholarship research project is all about the effect of alternative care on academic motivation, and along the way I founded two volunteering organisations: Learn With Us Summer Camp, and Towards My Future. If you have any questions about my projects, if you think that your endeavours and mine somehow overlap, or if you just want to chat, please drop me a message! :)

I am a graduate of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineering at the University of Rwanda. I am also the STEM Subject Lead. My Laidlaw research project is about bringing a system that could help minimize the number of high-school and primary students who bring cell phones to school since it's one of the major sources of distraction. I did my Master's degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, majoring in Cybersecurity and Data Science.

Hello! I've been part of the Laidlaw Foundation for over 4 years, working on strengthening our global community and broadening our initiatives aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty, reducing inequality, and cultivating a new generation of leaders. I'm currently completing a Masters in Anthropology & Professional Practice at UCL, delving into my passion for using ethnographic research and design thinkig to effect systemic change, particularly in the education sector. My journey in design has been diverse, beginning with graphic design, transitioning into UX/UI and service design, and now evolving into strategic design and innovation.  Originally from the vast steppes of Kazakhstan 🇰🇿, I pursued my undergraduate degree in Human Sciences at UCL. I'm an avid swimmer, an obsessive podcast listener, and a dancer with two left feet and a whole lot of spirit. Let's connect and chat—drop me a line and find me on LinkedIn! 💬👀

I am the founder of buddhistphilosophy.co.uk where I currently host podcasts with expert guests in Buddhist philosophical practice and theory. With this project, I am to contribute toward correcting the entrenched Eurocentric bias in philosophy by creating an inclusive space for learning about Buddhist philosophy. As a Laidlaw Scholar, I have researched on researched philosophy of time, Buddhist philosophy, and philosophy of language. My research output includes a paper entitled Meaning in Gibberish (forthcoming in Aporia). I have presented this paper and discussed related issues in talks and workshops at the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh. Language learning holds a high in priority in my studies and research. I have studied some Pali (OCBS levels 1 and 2) and I read French fluently. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any interest in the following: Buddhism, Buddhist philosophy, Ambedkar studies, women and Buddhist philosophy, cross-cultural philosophy, critical theory, French philosophy, Laruelle’s non-philosophy, non-Buddhism, philosophy of nonsense, philosophy of death.

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.