On 24th May, the three global winners of the British Council’s Alumni Awards were selected for their outstanding achievements as business professionals, entrepreneurs and community leaders. They were selected through a multi-stage judging process in which 21 regional winners were put forward from 63 finalists.
Entrepreneurial Award winner – José Ignacio Valenzuela
José Ignacio's work is changing the way Spanish-speaking communities around the world can access the vital healthcare that they need, and the Ministry of Education have just approved a Master’s programme in Biomedical Infomatics – the first of its kind in Latin America. José Ignacio has a MSc in Health Informatics from City, University of London.
Professional Achievement Award – Asha de Vos
Asha is the founder of Sri Lanka’s first marine conservation research and education organisation, Oceanswell, which works to change the trajectory of the world’s oceans by empowering and inspiring people to be custodians of the oceans. Asha studied for her BSc in Marine and Environmental Biology at the University of St Andrews, and her MSc in Integrative Biosciences at the University of Oxford.
Social Impact Award – Baby Ruth Villarama
Baby Ruth is an award-winning film maker from the Philippines. Her films are generating national conversations and raising international awareness of modern day issues such as human trafficking and slavery. Baby Ruth co-founded Voyage Studios, an organisation that collaborates with local and international filmmakers to produce stories that inspire audiences around the world to open their eyes to social issues. Baby Ruth studied a MA in Film Distribution and Marketing at Birmingham City University, and is a Chevening Alumna.
You can see the lists of regional winners in three categories from the links below.