Hi everyone, I'm Jasmine, and I'm studying BA Geography at LSE. I'd like to consider myself as an at least partially competent social scientist, but my particular interests are in modern history, gender, and urban studies. I'll happily waffle on about any of those things, and I'm always excited to meet people with shared interests. Outside of academics, I enjoy ballet, marvel, disney music and playing with my dog.  I wanted to become a Laidlaw scholar because I enjoy doing research, and I wanted to see if I could take my burgeoning skills outside of university to make a difference (an utter cliché, I know). I'm hoping to do that this summer with my LiA working for Variety, a UK-based charity that looks to support children with disabilities from disadvantaged backgrounds. I will be running a research project investigating where there are gaps in the capacity of these children to access assistive technology, and what we can do about it. If you're interested, if you have any ideas or knowledge, send me a message or an email! 

Hello! I’m Henry, a second-year student at the University of St Andrews. Originally from Lancashire, I moved to Scotland in 2023 to pursue an undergraduate degree in modern history. Now entering my third year, my interests primarily revolve around late modernity, covering themes of empire, oppression, and propaganda.                   For my Laidlaw research, I am focusing on youth targeted propaganda in Nazi Germany. Specifically, I am analysing the techniques used in the children’s literature of the Third Reich to skew the youth’s morality, comparing this to themes found in the contemporary U.S.. With the recent resurgence of far-right politics, I feel it is crucial to analyse the means and manner of indoctrination, particularly those centred on the youth.                    I look forward to connecting with you all and reading about your projects!

Hello! My name is Rowena, I am an undergraduate at UCL studying Sustainable Built Environment, Energy and Resources. It is an honour to study at the QS ranking’s #1 university in the UK for sustainability and the Bartlett School which is the #1 faculty in the world for built environment studies. I am passionate about sustainability and strive to combine academic research with real-world impact through quantitative and qualitative analysis, policy evaluations and environmental advocacy. My Laidlaw research builds on my previous work on Biodiversity Net Gain and its impact on sustainable housing of which a summary was published in the Harmony Journal in 2024. I am keen to pursue a meaningful career in sustainable finance consultancy. In school I was recognised for my academic achievements with the International Gold Medal at Ireland’s Young Economist of the Year competition, a certificate of commendation from Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge in their economics essay competition and a feature on BBC Radio and ITV News at Reading Schools’ Model UN COP27.  Beyond academics, I am an active leader and environmental advocate. At UCL, I serve as a Green Impact Strategy Ambassador and Academic Representative, attending conferences, forums and committee meetings on a regular basis to ensure my peers’ voices are heard. I also love the performing arts, having directed and acted in multiple theatre productions as House Captain at school and playing the organ and singing in my church choir. I thrive in dynamic, high-pressure environments and am always looking for opportunities to drive meaningful, sustainable change. My goal as a Laidlaw Scholar is to merge research, technology and policy to creative innovative solutions for our global future.

Hia! I'm Bethan, but most people know me as Bea. I am going into my second year at the University of St Andrews studying Social Anthropology and Geography. My Laidlaw research project explores the power of the Pacific research methodology and cultural storytelling tool of talanoa within the sphere of Pacific climate change discourse. In order to make meaningful change happen on the terms of those most affected by climate change and with some of the greatest history of connections with the ocean, the use of talanoa can be expanded to facilitate culturally appropriate collaboration and effective, meaningful climate change action.  I hope to implement this methodology for my Leadership in Action project to bridge the gap between localised Pacific perspectives of climate change and political spheres that fund and control climate action within the Pacific Islands. By using talanoa to co-produce knowledge and share real-world stories on the ground, I hope to facilitate action beyond the local level and tackle the reoccurring issue of scaling solutions within climate change action - particularly from within such a culturally diverse region that is so often homogenised within climate change discourse.  __ More broadly, my interests lie in environmental and visual anthropology, overall aiming to understand and put into practice how visual storytelling can empower people in the face of our changing climate, and inspire audiences beyond academia to see how interconnected our world is - and the people within it. In bridging the intersection of human experiences and our physical environments, I hope to portray a future that highlights localised solutions to environmental challenges and to make this future empowering and accessible to a wider audience through film. 

👋 Hi, I’m Aimee! I study Architectural&Interdisciplinary Studies BSc at UCL and am passionate about exploring how art and design can connect creativity with research and community. As a Laidlaw Scholar, my first year project focused on building the first digital exhibition for the Paris Summer School, combining my interests in design and storytelling with leadership in collaborative projects.

With my current interests in media studies and being impacted by the ongoing war in Ukraine, I became interested to explore the communicative methods used within the environments of far-right, authoritarian regimes. My project 'The Dominance of Collective Mystical Thinking Within the Rise of Far-Right Politics' will delve into the performance of authoritarian governance based on magical practices, involving interaction based on set of rituals and symbolic elements that aims to distance individuals from objective reality and involve them into specific collective imaginary.  The research will focus on communicative applications, particularly looking into speech structure and non-verbal elements (context, gestures, media tools). It will analyse the online materials to understand the communicative patterns used between participants, contributing to the greater understanding of the authoritarian structure and its potentials for social control, and finding pathways for its resistance.  --- I'm incoming third year Film and Anthropology student, being interested in documentary and video-essay form. I have extensive background in cinematography and commercial videography, with passion of story making and telling.  I am interested to communicate and expand my knowledge, share my experience, especially if you are working with similar topics of Magic, Political Power, War, Displacement, Media and Communication

Hey hey! :) I'm Tamar, a Financial Economics student at the University of St Andrews, based in historic and picturesque Scotland. I am originally from Georgia (the country!), heading into my 3rd year of undergraduate study. This summer marks my first as a Laidlaw Scholar, and I am incredibly excited to be undertaking my research project: “Beyond Words: Women, Equality and the Early Esperanto Language Community.” Through historical artefacts, I will be exploring how the early Esperanto movement (1900s–1920s) created inclusive spaces for women, challenging the gender norms of its era. Given that gender inequality remains a pressing issue today, it is fascinating to explore how earlier generations managed to confront these challenges, despite arguably more rigid societal constraints. You might be surprised by my choice of a socio-historic topic — after all, I study finance and economics. But I have always been fascinated by interdisciplinary thinking. My curiosity often leads me to explore humanities subjects at length, and I take every chance I get to expand my horizons beyond my degree. What's more, this project gives me the perfect excuse to pick up another language! Language learning is one of my greatest passions (although I must confess I dabble more than I master), and I am always on the lookout for compelling study materials. Outside of academics, I adore capturing the beauty of my surroundings, travelling and planning future trips, reading, watching great cinema, and unwinding with music — I even brought my national instrument, the Panduri, to St Andrews all the way from Georgia and strum it as much as I can to keep a little piece of home with me.  If any of this sparks your interest —  whether you got curious about my research, want to exchange language-learning tips, or just chat about shared interests, I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out here or connect with me on LinkedIn. Look forward to connecting with you! :)

I’m currently a third year mathematics student at the University of St Andrews and a 2025 Leadership and Research Scholar. My research project was in Pure Mathematics, specifically Algebraic Graph Theory. I studied pseudo-similar vertices in graphs using tools from semigroup theory.

Hello, my name is Erin and I am a second year Classics student at Durham University. I am thrilled to have been accepted onto the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme as part of the 2025 cohort. I have always been what I consider to be academically curious but what is more colloquially termed as nerdy - especially in regards to Classics (I just love learning new things!). I also have aspirations to undertake a career in humanitarian work, driven by my desire to fight for social justice and empower others to do so. In this way, the remit of the Leadership and Research programme, to cultivate leaders whose actions are both ethical and data-driven, appeared to me to be perfectly aligned with my own interests.  I have had previous experience in the various domains of the programme: in terms of leadership, I was Head Student at my Secondary School in my final year; I completed a 5000 word EPQ research paper two years ago; and I have had some volunteering experience at a local food-bank. However, I am both aware of and looking forward to the fact that this programme is going to really challenge me mentally, emotionally and physically when it comes to the research project, the Oxford Character Project and the LiA, respectively. I am hopeful that the programme will lead to lots of personal growth and assist, alongside my degree and other uni experiences, in equipping me with the tools I need to be the driving force behind the change I want to see in the world after graduation!

I'm Devon, a first year bioscience undergraduate at Durham University. My main interests are in global health and immunology. When not studying I can be found hiking, climbing, white water kayaking, and mountain biking. 

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, currently completing a year abroad at the University of Montreal.   My research project topic this summer 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 allowed me to draw conclusions about the levels of connectivity and accessibility of poetry in Leeds. I’m originally from Russia but moved to Slovenia for political reasons when I was 15 and then to the UK at 19, 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. Currently on a year abroad in Canada, 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 34 countries so far and don’t plan on slowing down!

I'm a Computer Science student at EPFL with a strong foundation in mathematics, physics, and interdisciplinary thinking. My academic path includes distinctions such as the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Scholarship and hands-on research experience in computational neuroscience, where I explore biologically plausible reinforcement learning. Beyond academics, I have practical experience ranging from electronics diagnostics to web development for social initiatives. I'm passionate about educational outreach—leading workshops for children, tutoring young students, and promoting inclusive learning. I’m also active in sports and the arts as a football player, pianist, and chess enthusiast. With fluency in Italian, French, and English, and a growing command of German, I enjoy connecting across cultures and disciplines to solve meaningful problems.

Hello! I'm Fraser, a first-year biochemistry student at the University of Leeds. My main passion is biochemistry, but my interests extend across science and philosophy. I am ever-curious and love to learn and debate with my friends. The research project I will be embarking on this summer is titled: "Reimagining Electrophysiology Teaching for Neuroscience Undergraduates through a Design-Thinking Approach." I chose this project because I understand the importance of proper education in understanding and advancing science. The ineffectual education of complex scientific themes, like the brain, leads to misconceptions among the scientific community and the wider public. This can inhibit the advancements of science and impair related practices, such as the care of individuals suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. In my free time, I love playing sports. My favourites include rugby, football and tennis, but I am always eager to try something new. I also enjoy listening to music, doing resistance training at the gym, playing my bass guitar, and being in nature. Feel free to drop me a message or email me at zrwh2552@leeds.ac.uk to discuss research, university, or just to say hi. :)

Hello! I’m a junior at the University of Hong Kong, pursuing a dual major in History and Korean Studies. My project explores how local attitudes shape refugees’ experiences and how public opinion interacts with government policies in this process. Using 1990s Korea and 1960s Hong Kong as case studies, I examine how refugees were received, how communities influenced their sense of belonging, and what lessons these histories offer for understanding refugee issues today.

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