University of Cape Town (UCT) graduates, Sanjiv Ranchod and Kiah Johnson, have been awarded the 2022 Gates Cambridge scholarship.
Established by Bill and Melinda Gates in 2000, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship is the most prestigious and funds post-graduate students from across the globe.
The scholarship focuses on excellence and is highly competitive, requiring the candidates to show leadership capacity and a commitment to improving the lives of others.
UCT media liaison officer Aamirah Sonday said the scholars came from 30 countries and are studying subjects ranging from food security and bat reservoirs for viral diseases to how gut hormones control food intake and blood glucose levels.
“The class comprises 41 women and 38 men,” Sonday said.
Ranchod, currently pursuing his master’s in the department of mathematics and applied mathematics at UCT before joining the Gates Cambridge Class for his Ph.D, said he was incredibly excited for the chance to continue his academic journey at the University of Cambridge.
“As a member of the Gates Cambridge Class of 2022, I hope to engage with an international cohort of academically and educationally interested students with diverse backgrounds, and I am grateful to the Gates Cambridge for this opportunity,” said Ranchod.
“I am greatly in debt to UCT, which has provided the necessary support throughout my mathematical studies, with particular mention to my supervisor, professor George Janelidze.”
Johnson, the 2015 UCT graduate, is also excited about joining the 2022 legion.
She said: “I am delighted that Gates Cambridge has afforded me the opportunity to study for a Ph.D at the University of Cambridge. I am dedicated to opening research horizons in rural southern Africa, especially in the Northern Cape, and look forward to returning to transfer skills gained overseas back into African institutions.”
Professor Barry Everitt, provost of the Gates Cambridge Trust, said this year’s recipients of the scholarship are an impressive and diverse group that has already achieved much in terms of their academic studies and leadership abilities.
He said the group has shown commitment to improving the lives of others.
“We know that they will flourish in the rich, international community at Cambridge and will go on to make a significant impact in their fields and to the wider global community.”
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