British Council Study UK Alumni Awards
Recognising the outstanding achievements of international UK alumni worldwide.
What are the awards?
The prestigious Study UK Alumni Awards, organised by the British Council, highlights the value of UK higher education internationally. It celebrates the outstanding achievements of alumni living outside of the UK in four categories:
- Science and Sustainability
- Culture and Creativity
- Social Action
- Business and Innovation
Entrants and their work are judged on five key criteria:
- Impact
- UK influence
- Media traction
- Potential to influence and inspire
- Quality of application
Could you be Sheffield's next winner?
You can apply now to share the impact of your work and gain global recognition in the 2024/25 Study UK Alumni Awards. Applications are open until 21 October 2024.
If selected as a finalist or winner, you will receive valuable opportunities to raise your academic profile, expand your networks with top professionals, share your success stories on an international platform, develop further skills, and be celebrated by your peers and alma maters.
Previous Sheffield winners
If you're thinking of applying but feel in need of a little inspiration, below you can meet previous University of Sheffield winners and finalists at both national and global level. Check out their short biographies, learn a little more about their own studying stories - and hopefully start to imagine yourself in their position next year!
Science and Sustainability
- Dr Emily Rickman - Global winner
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Emily earned her MPhys in Physics and Astrophysics from Sheffield, graduating in 2016. She is an astrophysicist based at the Mission Operations Center for the most powerful telescope ever launched, NASA/ESA/CSA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). She successfully led part of the team that took the first image of an exoplanet – a planet that orbits a star outside the solar system – using JWST, and has discovered a multitude of others while hunting for signs of life. Emily is passionate about diversity and inclusion in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and supports events targeted at encouraging women and LGBT+ community members into science.
- Dr Leonardo Bastos - Brazil winner
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Leonardo earned his PhD in Probability and Statistics from Sheffield, graduating in 2010. As a senior researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, he is dedicated to the development and application of statistical models for the epidemiology of infectious diseases. His work focuses on anticipating cases that have occurred but have not yet been reported in early warning systems, assisting real-time analysis, particularly for cases of dengue and COVID-19.
- Dr Abid Malik - Pakistan winner
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Abid earned his PhD in Medicine from Sheffield, graduating in 2010. A renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Abid has contributed to mental health leadership in 22 EMRO countries. As a Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatry, he paved the way for impactful global interventions and advocacy for mental health policies, like WHO's Thinking Healthy Program for perinatal depression. His journey showcases dedication to addressing global mental health challenges through clinical practice, research, and leadership.
- Dr Le Kim Phung - Vietnam winner
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Assoc Prof Dr Phung Kim Le earned his PhD in Chemical Process Engineering from Sheffield, graduating in 2008. She is the Director of Refinery & Petrochemical Technology Research Center (RPTC), and leader of Sustainable Process Engineering Group at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT). Since then, she has expanded her research interests in science and technology development and applications for the water-food-energy process system engineering field for sustainable development. Currently, as an associate professor at HCMUT, she has been awarded various global research grants from USA, Japan and Asia for her research interests including several emerging fields such as renewable energy, biomass, biorefinery, and bio recovery. Recently, she also received the Best Innovation Award of The 2022 Hitachi Global Foundation Asia Innovation Award.
- Dr Mininim Oseji - Nigeria finalist
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Dr Oseji earned her MPH in Public Health from Sheffield, graduating in 2010. She is a distinguished Consultant Public Health and Community Physician, currently serving as the Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Ministry of Environment. She is also the Medical Director of Berachah Community Clinic in Asaba and a Visiting Lecturer at Accra College of Medicine, Ghana. As the Executive Director of the Public Health Impact Research Centre, she focuses on research areas such as HIV/AIDS, Climate Change, COVID-19, Maternal and Child Health, Cancer, Gender-Based Violence, Health Systems Management, Occupational Health, and Women and Youth Empowerment.
"I applied because I wanted to share the wonderful impact studying in the UK has made on my career and let others know how to maximise the benefits of such an education.”
Business and Innovation
- Dr Dan Armooh - Ghana finalist
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Dr Armooh earned his MPH in Public Health from Sheffield, graduating in 2014. He leads Acacia, an organisation that provides a much-needed affordable and sustainable health financing solution to corporate Ghana.
"I thought it was a great opportunity to showcase my contributions to the field of Private health insurance in Ghana. I felt really humbled when I was eventually announced the winner of the Business and Innovation award, especially as I compared my own career journey to that of the other nominees, who had also accomplished so much in their fields. In all, I thank the University of Sheffield for offering me an opportunity to study and to acquire some life changing skills that have helped me in my career."
Social Action
- Yu Bai - China finalist
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Yu earned his BA in Architecture from Sheffield, graduating in 2005. One of his achievements was playing a key role in transforming a series of former state-owned hotels from the 1980s into a state-of-the-art Continuing Care Retirement Community in the heart of Beijing.