News

On Saturday 9th May, we held the Annual Mastercard Foundation Scholars Transitions Day. Jéssica Julaia Bouché, MPhil in Conservation Leadership, was the journalist-of-the-day and had these reflections to share:Transitions are often described in practical terms: finishing a degree, searching for opportunities, moving countries, or starting a new cha…

Mastercard Foundation Scholar Nelson Elijah reflects on his Fitzcelerate entrepreneurship programme experience and shares what's next for his social venture, UDO. 

The prestigious Heat Adaptive Architecture Design (HAAD) Competition, organised by the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, challenges students to design affordable, scalable solutions to combat extreme heat.Second-year PhD researcher and Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program alumnus Kumary Saitabau, one of this year's winners, discusses his des…

Conservationist Ruth Singen came to Cambridge in 2022 – part of our very first cohort of Mastercard Foundation Scholars. Ruth tells us about those early days in Cambridge and reflects on the remarkable journey that has brought her ‘right where she’s meant to be’.

We’re delighted to announce that 92 outstanding African students have been selected to become Mastercard Foundation Scholars and will begin their master’s programmes in Cambridge this October.Selected applicants come from 23 different African countries, including two not previously represented on the programme; Togo and Sierra Leone.The fifth cohor…

Since time immemorial, the rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge has stood as one of the greatest in the world. This weekend, they met in the battle of blades to see who will be crowned winner of the 171st Boat Race.My first experience of the Boat Race though, was in Lusaka, Zambia in 2024. I had received an invitation to the Alumni watch party from…

The annual Scholars Entrepreneurship Fund (SEF) competition enables Mastercard Foundation Scholars in Cambridge to pitch their social venture to a panel of experts for the chance to win funding and further mentoring support.In the run up to this year's competition, scholars came together for an 'Idea framing session' to help stress test and strengt…

I came into the African Founders Webinar on ‘Bringing last mile businesses into the digital economy’ with a familiar framework in my head: fintech as infrastructure, financial inclusion as access. What I left with was something more uncomfortable, a recognition that access without visibility is not inclusion at all.Listening to Olapeju Nwanganga, f…

A Conversation with Nnamdi Uba at the first African Founders Webinar Series (AFWS) session of the year on 18 Feb 2026. In many parts of Africa, buying land is not just a transaction - it is a leap of faith. Paper documents change hands. Verbal assurances replace verified records. Ownership histories can be unclear. And too often, people lose money …

Above: Kaitochukwu at African Development Bank HQ in AbidjanThe Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program’s strong focus on supporting young people to access meaningful work means that support continues well beyond graduation day.For Mastercard Foundation Scholars seeking to gain relevant experience, strengthen their skills in a supportive environment…

This past weekend, from 16 to 18 January 2026, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars embarked on a deeply enriching three‑day retreat to Stratford‑upon‑Avon - the historic birthplace of William Shakespeare.What began as a simple Friday afternoon gathering at the Mastercard Foundation programme’s office quickly unfolded into a weekend filled with refle…

What a way to open the Lent Term. The 13th - 15th January was a surreal experience for Mastercard Foundation Scholars who took part in the King's E-Lab Social Ventures Residential. The programme was designed to support students in developing sustainable and ethical projects with a positive social and environmental impact. It was a dream come true f…

'Digital literacy opens doors'. It’s the simple mantra behind Tech4Progress – an NGO set up by Mastercard Foundation Scholar Nelson Elijah and friend Favour Oguibe to equip children with essential digital skills.We speak with Nelson about the moment of realisation that sparked it all, the lessons learned along the way, and what it means to be selec…

The Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) kicked off the academic year's leadership training with a day that was equal parts profound and playful.On Friday, December 12th, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars gathered for the first module of their bespoke leadership training programme and what a day it was. Designed to help scholar…

Bupe Banda is a Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Alumni from the University of Cambridge, where she studied Conservation Leadership in 2022–23. She was part of the University’s very first cohort of Mastercard Foundation Scholars.Two years on from graduating, we catch up with Bupe about how she’s using her training in her new role with the All…