Two new Gates Scholars will be joining Selwyn in October. Paulina Lohbeck and Cong Minh Nguyen were announced on 17 April as members of the Gates Cambridge Class of 2026. Paulina will pursue a PhD in Materials Science and Metallurgy, and Cong Minh will read for a PhD in Economics.

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship is one of the world's most prestigious postgraduate awards, offered each year to outstanding students from outside the UK who demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential and a commitment to improving the lives of others.

Paulina, who has studied across France and Germany, is drawn to questions of light and matter. "I am fascinated by how much can be revealed by looking at something differently," she says, "sometimes quite literally through light." Her PhD will investigate how optical excitation shapes the performance of next-generation optoelectronic devices, with the aim of understanding what currently limits their efficiency. 

Cong Minh, who grew up in Pleiku, Vietnam, where his family grow coffee, brings a deeply personal perspective to his research. "Farmers sell through middlemen who hold better information about demand, prices and market access, enabling them to capture value at farmers' expense," he explains. "I see a similar story in digital markets." His PhD will examine how platforms' information design may distort competition and facilitate algorithmic collusion, as part of a broader commitment to consumer protection.
 

Both scholars join a Selwyn community that spans disciplines, nationalities and generations. We wish them every success as they begin their research at Cambridge.

Since the first class in 2001, Gates Cambridge has awarded 2,299 scholarships to scholars from 112 countries, representing nearly 800 universities globally and all 31 Cambridge colleges. This year's class of 68 represents 25 countries.
 

Find out more about the Gates Cambridge Class of 2026.