Finalists by region

AMERICAS - Beatriz Salinas Marambio

Goldsmiths, University of London

Beatriz is Director of the National Centre for Contemporary Art in Chile. Since her appointment, Beatriz has significantly improved access to art and culture to disadvantaged communities, developing strong connections with local organisations in the community. Beatriz has overseen the establishment of a permanent public educational programme for every exhibition, reaching more than 28,000 students, while continuing to raise the profile of international and national artists. 

EAST ASIA - Hann Ng

London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)

Hann Ng is the youngest Chief Strategist and official spokesperson of a Fortune 500 company in Malaysia. His responsibilities include building government relationships, implementing business strategies, and managing the media, brand image and corporate social responsibility. His company has won a UN-linked award on sustainability, and has also been recognised by the Malaysian Prime Minister for corporate social responsibility. 

EUROPE - Alessandro Rota

University of Westminster

Alessandro is an award-winning photographer specialised in reportage, travelling to more than 25 countries in Africa and the Middle East to cover areas of crisis and conflict. His work has appeared in Corriere della Sera, The Guardian, Der Spiegel and The Sunday Times, among others. He has exhibited his work with the Royal Photographic Society and Royal Geographical Society, and has received awards including at the Festival of Ethical Photography, and the International Photography Awards.

 

 

MENA - Noha Aboueldahab

School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London; Durham University

Noha is a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Doha Center conducting research on human rights, international law and transitional justice in the Middle East and North Africa. She provides informed analysis on current events for media outlets including the BBC, CNN and Al Jazeera, reaching millions of viewers worldwide. In 2017 she founded a transitional justice research network, which places emphasis on generating critical research and outreach to legal and political stakeholders in the region.

SOUTH ASIA - Abhijit Mitra

University of Leeds

Abhijit is Project Investigator at the BT Global Research and Innovation Programme at IIIT Delhi, and a member of the 5G Security Working Group of India. His work is contributing towards Digital India, enabling broadband access to 450 million Indians and providing 5G access over metro networks. He is a recipient of the DST INSPIRE Faculty Award and BT Fellowship. Abhijit received his PhD from IIT Delhi in 2017 and MSc (Eng) from the University of Leeds in 2011.

SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - Ayobami Adebayo

University of East Anglia

Ayobami's debut novel, Stay With Me, was published to critical acclaim, and its examination of sickle cell disease has led to critical discussion of the disease’s impact on Nigeria. Ayobami was awarded the Future Africa Prize for Arts and Culture in 2017, and her novel has been shortlisted for several major awards, including the Wellcome Book Prize and Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction. Within two years, Stay With Me has been published or is forthcoming in 23 countries and 19 languages.

 

 

WIDER EUROPE - Afgan Bakhishov

University of Manchester

Afgan is Director of the legal department at the Financial Markets Supervisory Authority of Azerbaijan (FIMSA), and a member of its executive board. He also lectures on corporate governance standards. His work has been recognised by the CIO of FIMSA and the governor of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan. Afgan led a team to draft amendments to Azerbaijan's financial regulations, to ensure financial stability and harmonization with EU regulation. Afgan is also a Chevening scholarship alumnus.