Committee!
Here at CUID, we organise speaker events, panel discussions and open debates to stimulate dialogue between students, academics and development professionals, encouraging everyone to form their own opinions on matters of international development.
We also have a termly magazine, Vision, which provides a platform on which students can explore issues that interest them and voice their views on international development. We see it as essential to be as inclusive as possible, so we don’t charge our members any fees – we rely on the generosity of sponsors to fund all of our activities.
Please explore our website to find out about upcoming events, read the latest edition of Vision, or join our mailing lists to start receiving our regular updates.
Rob MacLennan
PresidentHi! I’m Rob and I’m in my third year studying Economics at John’s. I’m so excited to be taking on the role of CUID President for the coming year, and looking forward to all the speaker events and Vision publications ahead! I’ve been interested in International Development for many years, and have particularly enjoyed being part of research studies analysing the effectiveness of community-led development initiatives. I want to pursue a Development-focused career once I graduate, and so am looking forward to engaging with fresh thinking and alternative viewpoints across CUID’s initiatives in my role as President this coming year! president@cuid.org
Ryan Ward
Chief Computing OfficerHi, I'm Ryan & oversee website developent, design, hosting and publications. I am studying remotely for an UGAdvDip in Research Theory & Practice, with a focus on Philosophy & Economics. My research focuses on Government Intervention during times of Financial crisis. I live in Cambodia and work for Kinsta.com as the Billing & Account, Manager and the community manager at New Native (AI investment company).
Maya Beney
Vision Interviews Sub-EditorHi, I’m Maya and I’m in my third year reading History at Caius. I’m particularly interested in development research concerning forced migration and refugees, and how this links to issues such as sustainable reintegration, global health, and food insecurity. As Interviews Sub-Editor I’m looking forward to showcasing academic research and careers in development.
Mark Robinson
Sponsorship OfficerHi! I’m Mark, and I’m a second-year undergraduate studying economics at St John’s. My interest in International Development stems from listening to stories of my dad’s experiences overseas. His passionate retellings of every touching and humbling experience with local people always showed him to be learning and developing just as much as those normally characterised as ‘in need’. I too, am excited to learn and develop over the course of this year in my role as one of the Sponsorship Officers – excited to be working alongside like minded organisations to support the valuable work of CUID.
Lucy Williams
Artistic DirectorHi! I’m Lucy and I’m in my second year studying Education, Policy and International Development at Homerton. My travelling experiences (especially spending a little bit of time teaching in The Gambia) alongside my studies in international development, have meant I am particularly interested in education’s role in providing opportunities for all people and how this interacts with development on national levels. As part of my role in CUID, I love reading and presenting the amazing articles written by Cambridge students in Vision! They give me new insight in understanding the people of our planet and the problems they face, as well as the possibilities for sustainable solutions to achieving greater equity.
Jenny Zhu
Head of EventsHello! My name is Jenny and I am a second-year undergraduate studying education at Homerton. Inspired by Martha Nussbaum’s capability approach, I’ve always been interested in how international development could form a convergence point for countries to work together through hands up instead of handouts. In this upcoming year, I am beyond thrilled to work with the rest of the team to organise some enlightening talks and we look forward to providing an open platform for everyone to exchange viewpoints freely!
Sophie Harbour
Vision Editor-in-ChiefHi my name’s Sophie and I’m a third year PhD student at Murray Edwards. My research, based in POLIS, focuses on how to establish ‘Caring Democracies’ by understanding the relationships between citizens and representatives. International development has always held a particular interest for me because of the many years I’ve spent volunteering on (and learning through) different service projects around the world, and I’m really looking forward to being part of highlighting some of the important stories that are shaping our world’s development today!
Sofiyah Rasool
Vision Perspectives Sub-EditorHello, my name is Sofiyah and I’m a third-year undergraduate studying HSPS at Churchill College. I’m a keen journalist with a passion for storytelling which is why I’m really looking forward to editing the Perspectives section of Vision magazine. I hope that this section will allow us to present a range of viewpoints on a given topic. When it comes to understanding international development, a variety of perspectives allows for an open conversation about the critical challenges facing the world today. I’m really looking forward to working on this worthwhile project.
Phoebe Penfold
Vision Sub-EditorHi! I’m Phoebe, a second year Geographer at Jesus. My interest in International Development stemmed from a trip to Bangalore in 2016; the inequalities and inequities within this high growth city appeared very stark and I began to question how access to its emerging opportunities could be widened. Since then, I’ve been fascinated by the differences in attitudes towards development and the mechanisms in place to achieve it, so I’m looking forward to working with writers with diverse perspectives in my role as Vision sub-editor
Anna Sayles
Vision Sub-EditorHello! I’m Anna, and I’m a fourth year undergraduate studying Classics at Robinson. I enjoy learning about topics across the range in international development, but I do have a particular interest in education and cultural heritage. What appeals to me about the sub-editor role is the ability to work on articles by different writers, with many different perspectives, on different topics.
Etienne Tracey
Vision Sub-EditorI’m Etienne, third year HSPS at Peterhouse, specialising in Anthropology. I look forward to working on the debates surrounding practical development and how we can best engage and reflect different ontologies and worldviews in academic writings of support and development. As such, I hope to read and work on articles with the aim of creating educational and thought provoking stances on international development - are there perspectives which challenge the current paradigm and whose ideas should we be listening to?
Anton Konshin
Events OfficerWelcome, I’m Anton! I’m a third year student of Land Economy at Magdalene. I am very curious about people. I have travelled widely as a performance athlete and lived in 5 countries at varying stages of their development. Throughout my life, I have been lucky enough to engage and make close friends with people from all walks of life. I would like to understand how we can heal the pain and suffering that form an inevitable part of our complex world, especially in the developing nations.
Adithya Mohan
Vision Sub-EditorHi! I’m Adithya and I’m a second year undergraduate studying economics at Clare College. International development is a diverse subject and many of the topics that it deals with such as poverty and environmental change are among the most pressing issues of our time. I’m looking forward to working with writers and other committee members in the role of Vision sub-editor and hope to learn from being exposed to new perspectives on development whilst working on the project.
Maddie Lempert
Vision Co-EditorHi, I'm Maddie and I'm in my fourth year studying Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (Arabic and French) at Jesus. A lot of my degree is about issues which impact and interact with International Development, of which I've witnessed the influence and pitfalls on my Year Abroad in Egypt. I'm really interested in inviting new voices to join us at Vision and bringing a collaborative perspective in post-colonial contexts, especially with grassroots development organisations.
Çağla Özbek
Vice-PresidentHi! I am Çağla and I am a third-year Land Economy student at Clare. Growing up in Turkey I have witnessed firsthand the impacts of gender inequality and forced displacement especially regarding refugees. My experiences made me interested in international development and wanted me to become more involved in dialogues around it. As the Vice-President this year, I hope to encourage more people to learn about issues around international development and expand my perspective about the field. I am very excited for the new Vision issues and all the events we will be hosting this year!
Michelle Del Carretto
Fundraising OfficerHi, I’m Michelle and in my third year of Archaeology at Christ’s. I’m really looking forward to helping organise fundraising activities over the coming year so that CUiD can contribute to NGOs or charities that are making a tangible difference. My interest in international development stems from my childhood in India and the recollection that gross disparity can lie only meters apart. Since then, I have been back and realised that the gap faced by rural and other marginalised communities has the real potential to be bridged by relevant education and representation. By joining the committee and engaging with the members I hope to broaden my understanding of the key issues in development as well as being exposed to the field from a number of different perspectives in order to challenge my own preconceptions.
Izzy Lovegrove
Sponsorship OfficerHi! I'm Izzy and I'm a third-year Geographer at Robinson. I'm really excited to be a part of CUID this year. I am particularly interested in the intersection of feminism and development which challenges mainstream development paradigms and explores how the needs for women, as well as other marginalised groups, can be met. As a Sponsorship Officer I am looking forward to the challenge of bringing in new donors for the society so that we can continue to put on amazing events.
Injae Lee
Publicity OfficerHi, I’m Injae and I’m in my second year doing HSPS at Trinity. I’m interested in international development due to the prominent role global economics and politics has played in the development of the two countries I call home, Korea and America, and how they embody different positions in the complexities of international development in the post-colonial era. As CUiD’s publicity officer, I want to get bright future leaders in international development involved so that progressive, globally inclusive, non-Western centric trends of thought can take leadership in the development industry. There’s no better way to do that than by encouraging a paradigm shift at universities, especially one where there are so many international students. I also hope to learn further about how countries in the “Global South” can develop without being put in inequitable situations with the wealthy countries of the West and developed world.
Varun Muralidharan
TreasurerHey, I’m Varun, and I’m in my second year studying Natural Sciences at Emma. Through taking part in the Rural Indian Schools Enterprise Challenge, I developed a strong interest in development via education. I gained a first hand insight into the difficulties of grassroots projects and the ways effective partnerships can solve these problems. I value how CUID provides a forum to discuss and debate these issues while learning more too. Therefore, it is a privilege to be treasurer this year where I hope to further strengthen our finances, manage the budget, and generate more strategic partnerships with a wide range of institutions.
Olivia Byrne
Vision Sub-EditorHi! I’m Olivia and I’m a third-year undergraduate studying Geography at Newnham College. I’m particularly interested in the environmental aspect of international development and how to implement sustainable, inclusive policies, particularly in relation to climate change and food security. Having contributed to other international development research publications in the past, I’m really looking forward to working on the Vision publication and engaging with many different perspectives on development issues.
Will Peet
Social SecretaryHi, I’m Will and I’m in my third year studying History at Downing. I’m looking forward to being Social Secretary for CUID this coming year! My interest in international development is rooted in both my passion for history, and in my own personal experiences, including a visit to Tanzania a couple of years ago where I saw clearly the contrast with more developed countries. I believe that understanding global histories is key to breaching gaps in development. As someone keen to work in international relations as a career, I am excited to have a role that will facilitate debate and conversation, and to be a part of the important work CUID does.
Kogulan Vipulan
Communications OfficerHi, I’m Kogulan, and I’m a second year studying Chemical Engineering at Homerton. Given my family’s Sri Lankan Tamil background, I have spent extensive holidays with my Grandma in the North amongst the rural villages. It was here that my fascination for developmental changes across our world arose since I had not previously been accustomed to this sort of environment. I began to pursue my own reading and am now particularly interested in the infrastructural disparities that different countries possess. I hope that in my role I can actively reflect the work that the CUID committee is doing to expose and tackle these and similar issues.
Ellie Hydleman
Rep CoordinatorHi, I’m Ellie! I’m a 4th year undergraduate studying Law at Emma and have just completed a year abroad in Madrid. I’m excited to join the CUID committee as I’m looking to enter international development after I graduate. I became involved with an educational charity in Nepal in first year which is where my interest in international development has stemmed from. As rep coordinator I’m looking forward to spreading the word about CUID and bringing more people to the fantastic events in the year to come.
Matthew Chan
Events OfficerHi everyone! I’m Matthew, and I’m a second year studying Economics at Jesus. My interest in international development started when I became interested in the overlap between Economics and Geography, two subjects I took at A Level. I started a Development Society at school, and as Events Officer I’m really looking forward to being able to explore more of what this fascinating topic has to offer and sharing it with others!
Curtis Trynka
Events OfficerHey there! I’m Curtis, a third year HisPol at Corpus. I am slightly obsessed with constitutional law, and comparative politics more generally - alongside the history of political thought. My aim at CUIDS is to set up some fantastic debates with some of the world’s premier thinkers to challenge and discuss existing scholarship on what are the best approaches to improving international development. In politics, no authority is absolute, and very rarely are scholars entirely correct: to see their errors placed alongside their genius insights is what I intend to bring to this brilliant society!
Abubakar Mohamud
Events OfficerHi! I’m Abubakar and I’m a second year HSPS student at Robinson. My interest in international development stems from my background: I have relatives across the world, in particular Africa, and my interest lies in understanding how we can use global mechanisms and development tools to bridge people and communities. I’m especially interested in the topic of sustainability, and how we can promote sustainable practices in the international sphere. As a part of the events team, I hope to organise open and collaborative events that centre around human prosperity and empowerment.
Anna Feest
Vision Co-EditorHey, I’m Anna and I’m in my fourth year studying German at Queens’. I’ve worked and volunteered with many grassroots organisations and international social enterprises particularly focusing on education, health care and technology which has made me really interested in the global development field. I’m excited to work on Vision and put together some really interesting issues with different perspectives on important topics that have a big impact on our society.