In October 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation of Seattle, Washington, USA announced a donation to the University of Cambridge of $210 million to establish the Gates Cambridge Trust.
This benefaction creates in perpetuity an international scholarship programme to enable outstanding graduate students from outside the United Kingdom to study at the University of Cambridge. The Trustees are required to award scholarships on the basis of a person's intellectual ability, leadership capacity and desire to use their knowledge to contribute to society throughout the world by providing service to their communities and applying their talents and knowledge to improve the lives of others.
About the scholarships
The Trust expects there to be of the order of 230 Gates Cambridge Scholars studying at the University at any one time. Although there may be variation in the actual number of awards made each year, the Trust seeks to elect approximately 100 new scholars annually.
In selecting Gates Cambridge Scholars, the Trust looks for students of exceptional academic achievement and scholarly promise for whom advanced study at Cambridge would be particularly appropriate. The Trust expects a good match to be made between the applicant's qualifications and aspirations and what Cambridge has to offer. Successful applicants will have the ability to make a significant contribution to their discipline while in Cambridge, with a strong aptitude for research, analysis and a creative approach to defining and solving problems.
Over time, Gates Cambridge Scholars will form an integral and dynamic part of the University's influential international alumni network, bringing vision and new ideas to improving the lives of citizens throughout the world. Cambridge alumni take the lead in applying knowledge and skill to major problems in every walk of life: Gates Cambridge Scholars are thus expected to use their education for the benefit of others and to improve the common weal.
Gates Cambridge Scholarships are awarded only to students who gain admission to the University through the University's regular procedures.
A Gates Cambridge Scholarship will cover:
- University Composition Fee and College fees at the appropriate1 rate
- a maintenance allowance for a single student (£8,800 for 12 months for 2006-07)
- a further discretionary allowance (£2,200 per year for 2006-07)
- one economy one-way airfare from the scholar's normal country of residence to the UK at the beginning of the course of study or research; and one economy one-way airfare from the UK to the scholar's normal country of residence at the end of the course of study or research.
Website: http://www.gates. scholarships. cam.ac.uk
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