Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced that the Hillary Rodham Clinton Global Challenges programme at Swansea University has been extended to a further five scholars.
The announcement was made during the virtual graduation ceremony of the first cohort of the Global Challenges scholars on Thursday 4 February 2021, which was attended by: Secretary Clinton; Professor Elwen Evans QC, Dean of the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law; Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Boyle, and Jeremy Darroch, Executive Chairman of Sky Group.
Launched in 2019, the scholarships programme aims to support the next generation of leaders committed to addressing urgent global issues, including the protection of children online, the climate crisis and cyber security.
The second cohort of scholars was selected over the summer and granted a fully-funded, postgraduate, one-year scholarship at Swansea University.
The scholars began their studies in January 2021, and will be undertaking projects that examine online disinformation, the climate crisis, securing the right to education for all, and starvation as a weapon of war.
Secretary Clinton said: “This programme focuses on urgent issues which require tenacity and ingenuity to unlock. Our very first Global Challenges scholars graduating today, who undertook their studies during a pandemic, have shown just that and carved a path for those who will follow them. I am delighted that thanks to Sky we are welcoming our second year of Global Challenges scholars. I know that the experience they gain through this programme will give them the tools they need to go out and make an impact in their field. I am so proud of this community that Swansea University is building and I look forward to seeing it continue to grow.”
Swansea University has strong links with Secretary Clinton, who received an honorary doctorate from the University during a visit to Swansea in 2017. Following her investiture, the University’s College of Law and Criminology was renamed the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law.
Jeremy Darroch, Executive Chairman of Sky Group, said: “We are delighted to partner with Secretary Clinton and Swansea University for a second year supporting the Hillary Rodham Clinton Global Challenges Scholarship. At Sky, we believe in a better world and we are proud to support the next generation working to address global challenges such as the climate crisis and online safety. I'm excited to see how the work of our scholars unfolds over the coming year.”
Professor Elwen Evans QC, Dean of the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law, said: “We are enormously grateful to Secretary Clinton and Sky for their continuing support for the Global Challenges Programme and look forward to working with them further as we grow our community of remarkable scholars. We are all immensely proud of everything that our first cohort has achieved and I have no doubt our new scholars will be equally impressive.”