Since the first cohort of Gates Cambridge Scholars in 2001, more than 1,600 scholars have been selected from over 100 countries. This year’s cohort of 90 Scholars – the Class of 2019 – includes citizens from 37 different countries and the first scholars from Burundi and Mongolia. This year 27 universities have produced their first Gates Cambridge Scholar.

Two-thirds of the scholars-elect will pursue PhDs and their subjects range from cybersecurity, human trafficking and the heritage and identity of the Caribbean to early detection of oesophageal cancer and the genetics of TB resistance. Although the scholarship is still relatively young, more than 1,300 alumni across the globe are already making an impact around the world in all areas of human endeavour.

Learn more about the extraordinary backgrounds of the incoming Gates Scholars.

In 2000 the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donated $210 million to the University of Cambridge to fund an international postgraduate scholarship programme for students who are not just academically outstanding but also show a strong commitment to improving the lives of others. This remains the largest single donation in history to a UK university.