Five students selected for prestigious 2025 Laidlaw Programme
Students embark on ethical leadership journeys and undertake unique research
Five 51¸£ÀûÉç undergraduate students have been selected for the in the 2025 cohort. Three students were accepted in the previous academic year, and one accepted the year before that, showing a promising increase in successful candidates.
Generously funded by Lord Laidlaw and the Irvine Laidlaw Foundation, the programme provides undergraduates with hands-on experience of research, bespoke leadership development and mentoring, as well as an immersive leadership experience to prepare and develop them as global citizens and future leaders who believe in evidence-based decision making and ethical leadership.
The Programme has three main components:
- An original, student-led six-week research project in the first long vacation
- An immersive six-week Leadership-in-Action experience in the second long vacation where students put their leadership training into practice to create a positive impact in society
- An intensive leadership development programme which takes place over the eighteen-month duration of the programme.
Laidlaw Scholars also benefit from a global masterclass in Ethical Leadership produced by Oxford University, and participate in the Laidlaw Conference alongside cohorts from the other member universities.
This year’s students and their research projects are:
Sara Doczi: Post socialist democracy: national judgements and voting patterns on the value democracy in Hungary
Sophie Kleina: Cultural Symbols, Identity and Language Revitalisation: A Kashubian Perspective (C-SILK)
Maya Layish: War in the Digital Age: How social media has redefined civilian interaction with modern day warfare discourse in the UK
Zara Mirza: Policy Responses to Far-Right Radicalisation in France: A Sociological Perspective
Wen Xing: Othering 'the Occident': Understanding the Internalization of Queer-Phobic Discourses
Students commented:
"I was initially drawn to the Laidlaw Programme for the opportunity to undertake independent research, but I’m equally excited by the chance to explore leadership, understand what it means to be a responsible leader, and gain practical experience through volunteering. My motivation for joining came from a deep desire to contribute positively to the world, even if I’m still figuring out exactly how I’ll do that."
Sophie Kleina, 1st Year, Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Tripos
"I'd say the Gateway programme at Medwards definitely gave me the confidence and skills to apply for the Laidlaw Programme in the first place, and I'm sure the experience will give me the confidence to be ambitious with my future career plans."
Zara Mirza, 1st Year, Human, Social and Political Sciences Tripos
Alison Carless was the first 51¸£ÀûÉç student to be accepted on the programme in 2023, followed by three students, Britt Dewing, Shelley Yang and Adrienne Meagher in 2024.
Reflecting on her experience, Britt said:
"The Laidlaw scholarship has been a fantastic experience, enabling me to grow professionally and personally. I have connected with students of many disciplines that I never would have met otherwise. The programme has inspired me and renewed my belief in the power of ethical leadership.
The lovely warm Medwards community helped me build confidence from day 1. In directing my Medwards based play last year - Cambridget Jones's Diary - I was used to leading others and felt confident going into my Laidlaw interview."