The Laidlaw Foundation is partnering with Newnham College, Murray Edwards College, Fitzwilliam College, and Trinity Hall at the University of Cambridge to offer 25 of their exceptional undergraduates each year a place on the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme. The programme is open to students from all disciplines and is designed to develop a new generation of leaders who are skilled researchers, embrace data-driven decision making, and believe that good, honest leadership is a moral imperative.
Susanna Kempe, CEO of the Laidlaw Foundation and alumna of Newnham College, said: “Graduates from the University of Cambridge lead organisations in every sector and every part of the world. It therefore gives us enormous pleasure to introduce the Laidlaw Programme here, helping to ensure that the next generation of leaders are both brilliant researchers and committed to leading with integrity.”
Open to all first-year undergraduates at the participating colleges, the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme runs over 18 months during which scholars will receive bespoke leadership training and generous funding to complete two summer projects, the first focusing on a student-led research project supervised by a Cambridge academic, and the second centred on using their leadership training to make a positive impact in a new and challenging environment. Successful applicants will join a growing international community via the Laidlaw Scholars Network where they will network, collaborate, and share their ongoing achievements with current and former Laidlaw Scholars from some of the world’s most prestigious universities.
Alison Rose, Principal of Newnham College, said: “I speak on behalf of Baroness Sally Morgan, Dorothy Byrne and Mary Hockaday in welcoming the Laidlaw Leadership and Research Programme to Cambridge University and the Colleges of Newnham, Fitzwilliam, Murray Edwards, and Trinity Hall. We are delighted that our students can join with other universities in the Laidlaw network and benefit from this innovative programme which provides real and structured support for students to grow their leadership skills through hands-on research and projects with practical impact.”
Applications will open on November 28th, with the first cohort to be announced in March of 2023.
About the Colleges
Newnham College was founded in 1871 to promote academic excellence for women, a mission which continues today. The college’s 400 undergraduates and 300 postgraduate students are intellectually curious and focus on achieving their full potential in a mixture of beautiful buildings, set in stunning gardens. Newnham is proud to act as lead college for the Laidlaw Programme. [Principal: Alison Rose]
Murray Edwards College was founded as New Hall in 1954 and is home to 400 undergraduates and 200 postgraduates, all bright women from a variety of backgrounds who strive to achieve their full potential and make a difference in the world. [President: Dorothy Byrne]
Trinity Hall is the fifth oldest College in the University of Cambridge. It was founded in 1350 by Bishop Bateman, originally for the study of canon and civil law. The College consists of around 650 students, both undergraduates and postgraduates across a range of subjects, 60 Fellows, 130 staff and 8,000 alumni worldwide. The College is located in central Cambridge by the river, with a further site at Wychfield off Storey’s Way and accommodation on Thompson’s Lane. Its alumni include the late Professor Stephen Hawking, Oscar-winning actor Rachel Weiss and journalist Andrew Marr. [Master: Mary Hockaday]
Fitzwilliam College is a dynamic, welcoming international community committed to developing the talents of all its 750 undergraduate and postgraduate students. The college was founded in 1869, specifically to broaden access to the University of Cambridge. [Master: Baroness Sally Morgan]
About the Laidlaw Foundation
The Laidlaw Foundation invests in the education of the underprivileged and underrepresented to break the cycle of poverty, reduce inequality and develop a new generation of leaders. Our funding supports three core programmes:
- Sponsoring the Laidlaw Schools Trust – a growing, Multi Academy Trust in the North East of England, providing inspirational education to transform lives,
- Developing a new generation of diverse leaders who embrace research-based decision making and ethical leadership through our Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research programme at the world’s leading universities and
- Ensuring more women reach the C-Suite by providing MBA scholarships at London Business School and Oxford University’s Saïd Business School.
To learn more, follow the Laidlaw Foundation on LinkedIn and Twitter.