The Stuart Warren Studentship Fund

Funding students from the Southern African development region.

The College launched this fundraising drive in memory of Stuart Warren (1938-2020), one of our longstanding fellows in Chemistry. Stuart was a leader in his field and passionate about his subject- he taught generations of Churchill chemistry undergraduates. He was a supervisor and mentor to outstanding academics including Professor Varinder Aggarwal FRS, Professor Jonathan Clayden and Professor Kelly Chibale.

Now his colleagues at Churchill and the Cambridge University Department of Chemistry honour Stuart’s memory and enable a student from the South African development area countries to come to study for a research degree in organic or physical chemistry at Cambridge.

This opportunity is one that holds unquantifiable benefits for young Africans who are historically disadvantaged and under-represented in organic chemistry. Born and brought up in impoverished rural areas and townships of Zambia, I was given the rare opportunity through a scholarship to study at Cambridge. The high quality academic training I received from Stuart was the foundation for who I have become.

Professor Kelly Chibale

Former student of Stuart Warren

The Stuart Warren PhD studentship will fully fund students from Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), Zambia or Zimbabwe, which constitute the Southern African development region.

This requires approximately £50,000 per year; £29,000 to cover the annual fee for an overseas PhD student, and £21,000 to cover living costs. We aim to raise at least £25,000 per year, or £100,000 over four years for one student to be fully funded, with matching funding from the Cambridge trust to make up the difference.

Thanks to the support of Stuart’s family, alumni and former colleagues we have raised over £100,000 thus far, which has been matched generously by the Cambridge Trust, the College welcomed the first Stuart Warren PhD student in October 2022, Choonzo Chiyumba.

Longer term we would like to endow the fund, which will require ongoing funding of at least £100,000 annually to reach an endowment sum of £750,000.

If 100 former students pledge £200-£500, added to the current donations, we would be raising sufficient funds to help fund this on an ongoing basis and build up endowed funding. Should you have any questions about this fund, or donating, please don’t hesitate to contact Fran Malarée on [email protected]

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