Hello! My name is Batool and I am a second year Arts and Sciences at UCL. I take classes on environmental sciences, development studies and education.

I have co-produced a policy brief with student recommendations for sustainable futures in higher education which is addressed to decision and policy makers in universities. 

My name is Hannah Ramsey (she/her), and I am a junior at Barnard College studying neuroscience and English, though my research is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing heavily from the fields of medical anthropology, sociology, and narrative medicine.

Currently, I am researching how clinicians' reliance on body composition indicators (BCIs) in health assessments may contribute to the stigmatization of bodies. My intention with this work is to illuminate how moral and aesthetic biases within healthcare teams can negatively influence patient outcomes as a result of the stigmatizing effects associated with body-centric paradigms of health promotion. The goal of this research is to begin conceiving alternative approaches to promoting patients' physical health and subjective well-being that are both body-affirming and size-agnostic.

Apart from this research, I also have personal and academic interests in creative writing, writing pedagogy, and advocacy as it relates to the neurodiversity movement. In my spare time, I enjoy writing poetry, playing guitar, and taking long walks outside!

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.

My research explores and maps potential distributions of wild olive and wild grape across the  Levant during the Holocene based on soil, slope, precipitation, and elevation data using GIS. Connected to the CLaSS project at Durham University, this research aims to show the prevalence of these ethnographically used plants and help reveal which sites likely or unlikely had access to them, which is vital to understanding and contextualizing the archaeological record within a dynamic landscape. Ultimately, differing and changing access to ethnographically used plants across different periods and sites played an important role in shaping the lives of peoples in not only this region, but across the world - demonstrating one of the many impacts of climate change, from our ancient past to today.

I also work with shepherds in Tunisia and record their intangible heritage and pastoral practices, aiming to both record previously undocumented information in danger from disapearing due to a changing climate, but also to provide a unique ethnographic perspective on archaeological reference material in zooarchaeological assemblages. 

Hi everyone, I'm Elisabeth (she/her/they/them), although I usually go by Elly.

I am Chinese-German and study Management and Social Anthropology at the University of St Andrews. My research interests include ethnic and cultural belonging, diaspora and migration, gender and sexuality and languages. 

In my free time, I like making music and creating video content online. Feel free to reach out to me, here or on other platforms!

Hi! I'm Corey, a Final Year Digital Media student at the University of Leeds, expected to graduate in July 2024. 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.

I am actively looking for internships in Graphic Design, both in the United States and the United Kingdom, with the final aim to work in the Non-Profit and Advocacy moments by using Graphic Design to change the world for Good.

I am a History Undergraduate at University College London and Laidlaw Scholar. My research project was on a conservation NGO in the UK and my follow-up worked with the American Bird Conservancy to produce a chapter for an upcoming eBook on People and Birds.

I am really interested in how to make our connections to nature stronger through Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion work.

I am fascinated by the power of being grounded in a place, our role in the Anthropocene, and the future that we wish to envision.  That is the stories that we tell ourselves and the power of those narratives have on how we act.

I am an Economics student at Durham University. My foremost interests are Development Economics and Environmental Economics. This is reflected in my research project which explored Demographic Economics, titled "The Shifting Distribution of the Global Population in the Twenty-First Century: an Econometric Analysis of the Projected Fortunes of Nigeria and Japan, with Policy Recommendations for Sustainable Development".

I have experience working in economic consulting, specialising in competition economics, and am also a Zumba instructor. During my time on the Laidlaw Programme I have also served as a Laidlaw Schools Trust Mentor for Excelsior Academy in Newcastle.

In 2023, I completed a six-week international ‘Leadership in Action’ project in partnership with Think Pacific for my Laidlaw Scholarship. For this, I participated in a multi-faceted programme, comprising the building of a health centre, collaborations with Diabetes Fiji and Youth Champs 4 Mental Health, and a Fijian Culture Course. The project ended with a Think Tank where we planned how we would sustain progress. In my sub-group’s case, we are working on a new project to build a multi-purpose building to act as a kindergarten and evacuation centre, for which we are currently fundraising. We have had multiple meetings with the Laidlaw Foundation CEO and the Laidlaw Schools Trust, and we are presenting at the Conversations Conference in Dublin in October 2023.

Our project took place in Vunimaqo and Waisava, Dreketi Settlement, Nalawa district, Ra province, Vita Levu island, Fiji.

I attended the Impact 2022 conference at the LSE and will be attending, and presenting, at the Conversations 2023 conference at Trinity College Dublin.

Hi! I am a second-year English student at TCD. If I had to define my field of interest it would be words... How they are used to influence others and the way they shape us and the world we live in. My Research project focuses precisely on that: how the words that have been written over and over again in literature, and that we now recognise as the "literary canon", have influenced the view of those who were not part of these descriptions, or whose voices have not been heard.

I have participated in volunteering projects in the past that focused on art therapy for children and I want to implement the knowledge I have gained there into my future projects.

I am looking forward to exciting research that can make a difference! 

Trinity College Dublin joined the Laidlaw Network in 2018. The Laidlaw Programme offers undergraduate students at Trinity the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, and experience to become active global citizens and future leaders.

Laidlaw Scholars work with an academic supervisor on a self-directed, independent research project and take part in a suite of integrated leadership development activities which culminate in a challenging applied leadership experience. Laidlaw Scholars join a community of learning, driven by curiosity and collaboration, which enables diverse voices to make a meaningful impact.

The Laidlaw Programme at Trinity is open to undergraduates in the second year of a four year programme or the second/third year of a five year undergraduate/integrated masters programme.

Alex is the Programme Director of the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme. He is responsible to source and work with university, business school, NGO, government department, business and charity partners to manage and develop programmes which further the Laidlaw Founation's purpose – to reduce poverty and inequality by investing in the education of the underprivileged and underrepresented and to develop a new generation of diverse and ethical leaders.

Prior to joining the Laidlaw Foundation Alex spent over a decade at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, where he most recently managed the university’s Laidlaw Scholars Programme. In addition, Alex taught leadership courses and guest-lectured internationally on the subjects of strategy and leadership.

A bilingual speaker, dual national and keen traveller, Alex has lived, visited and worked in several countries around the world. During this time, he has had a unique opportunity to encounter and explore different cultures and working environments, experiencing first-hand what good leadership can achieve. His passion for this topic is driven by these experiences and a desire to challenge people to unlock their full leadership potential.

Alex holds an MBA from the Open University and a Master of Research in Management from the University of St Andrews. He has also obtained Associate Fellow status with the Higher Education Academy. In his spare time, Alex is an avid skier and volunteers with a local guide dog organisation.

I am an American Expat working at Durham University in the Leadership Framework where I serve as an Assistant Manager. In my role I oversee our Emerging Leadership programmes and am the programme administrator for the Durham University Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme.

I am passionate about creating an inclusive sense of belonging for students, student leadership development, harm reduction, and helping students identify their version of success.  I have worked in higher education for the last six years in a variety of functional areas including identity-based advocacy, orientation, transition and retention, fraternity and sorority life, and leadership development. I have a B.A. from Willamette University in American Ethnic Studies and History and a M.S. in Educational Administration with an emphasis in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education from Texas A&M University (Gig 'em!). 

I like to spend my free time fly-fishing, hiking, watching anything in the Star Wars universe, reading, browsing record stores, going to concerts, and finding the best cappuccino in NE England!

A graduate of Cambridge University, Susanna’s professional experience includes over 15 years in senior leadership roles in international B2B and learning businesses. Susanna began her career at the Institute for International Research (IIR) where she first worked with Lord Laidlaw, rising to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). When IIR, which was the world’s largest organiser of commercial conferences, was acquired by Informa plc in 2005 Susanna was appointed CMO of the enlarged group and also led the public company’s investor relations programmes. She subsequently joined Emap Ltd as Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer and CEO of Emap Networks, that group’s conferences business. Later she became CEO of the fashion industry forecaster WGSN and was latterly Group Content and Marketing Partner of the leading strategy consultancy Brunswick Group. A German-American raised and educated in the UK and a committed internationalist, Susanna has been involved in globally trading businesses throughout her career, directing activity in the Americas, across continental Europe, and the Asia Pacific. Susanna has been extensively involved with education and professional development over many years. She was Head of Group Training and led the commercial acquisition and integration of a portfolio of corporate training businesses whilst at IIR; and created learning academies at both Informa and Emap. She believes experiencing and appreciating different cultures promotes better global understanding, creativity and leadership. She is passionate about the power of education to transform lives; and believes that we need to develop a new generation of diverse leaders who are curious, bold and devoted to decency, truthfulness, and innovation. Susanna is committed to diversity not only as a societal imperative but as a critical component of commercial success. As an advisor to the trustees of the Foundation, Susanna first learnt about its purpose and programmes before becoming its Chief Executive responsible for the Laidlaw Schools Trust, the Laidlaw Scholars and its other education programmes. Susanna read English and Philosophy at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. She has five half blues in swimming and water polo; and played netball and rowed for Newnham.

Hello! I have been with the Laidlaw Foundation for over 3 years, helping us strengthen the global Laidlaw community and expand our programmes to break the cycle of poverty, reduce inequality, and develop a new generation of leaders. I am originally from Kazakhstan and I studied Human Sciences at UCL. I am a fan of all things human- and design-related, as well as an amateur naturalist, avid swimmer, and obsessive podcast listener. Drop me a line if you'd like to chat and let's connect on LinkedIn! 💬👀

Hi! I am a current second year Physics student in Trinity College Dublin. My research is on radio-astronomy of the Sun with particular interest in predicting potentially disruptive solar weather. 

Apart from physics I'm interested in running, rugby, card games and snowsports. I enjoy being outside, exercising, film/TV and getting involved in the Student's Union. I am particularly interested in connecting with students from around the globe and broadening my horizons!