Friederike Elisabeth Hedley, a Master’s student in the Department of Psychology of the University of Hong Kong (HKU), has been selected as a recipient of the 2024 Gates Cambridge Scholarship. Mrs Hedley will commence her doctoral studies in Psychology at the University of Cambridge this fall.   

Established in 2000 by the University of Cambridge with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Gates Cambridge Scholarship is highly competitive, with only about 1.3% of applicants receiving an award each year. This year, Friederike was one of 75 exceptional students from around the world to be granted this prestigious scholarship, which provides full financial support to outstanding students from countries outside the UK. The selection criteria include outstanding intellectual ability, leadership potential, a commitment to improving the lives of others, and the reasons for choice of course of study at the University of Cambridge.

This achievement is a testament to Friederike's exceptional academic accomplishments and leadership potential. Under the guidance of her supervisor, Dr. Frances Jingwen Jin, Friederike's MPhil studies in Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience investigated emotion-related perceptual decision making using experimental paradigms and computational modelling. Her research aimed to understand the differences in cognitive processing between individuals with and without internalising psychopathology, such as anxiety and depression. 

"I am absolutely thrilled and humbled to have been awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship. My time at HKU has played an integral part in where I am today, as it has instilled in me an academic curiosity to break new ground. I have found an openness and confidence to explore meaningful questions, across different cultures and disciplines," said Friederike. 

At Cambridge, Friederike will focus on advancing neurobiological and psychological frameworks for mental disorders, particularly anxiety disorders. Her primary goal is to investigate learning under uncertainty in younger populations and its links to (maladaptive) cognitive processing. Additionally, Friederike intends to integrate computational approaches into the field of developmental psychopathology, and to collaborate with experts from diverse disciplines to broaden the scope of her research.

More about the Gates Cambridge Scholarships
The Gates Cambridge Scholarship programme was established in 2000 by a donation of US$210m from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge. Since the first class in 2001, Gates Cambridge has awarded 2,183 scholarships to scholars from 114 countries representing nearly 800 universities globally.

For more information, please visit: https://www.gatescambridge.org/about/news/gates-cambridge-class-of-2024-announced/

For media enquiries, please contact:
Communication and Public Affairs Office, HKU
Ms Melanie Wan (Tel: 2859 2600 / Email: melwkwan@hku.hk)
Ms Jaymee Ng (Tel: 3910 3612 / Email: ngjaymee@hku.hk)
Mr Kenneth Choi (Tel: 3917 2607 / Email: khkchoi@hku.hk)