This brings to over 270 the number of Gates scholars who will be in residence at the University of Cambridge from autumn 2010, when the prestigious scholarship programme celebrates its 10th anniversary.

For the first time they include scholars from El Salvador and Norway and the second Gates scholar from Japan. Fifty-one students were selected after interviews at Wolfson College, Cambridge, at the end of last month. Twenty nine were selected after interviews in Annapolis, Maryland in February.

Thirty seven of the new scholars are from the United States, the largest grouping by nationality, but they include eight students who were already studying at Cambridge, albeit not on a Gates scholarship. Four were selected from Canada and China and three from Germany and the Russian Federation.

The scholarship programme, set up in 2000 and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, enables postgraduates with a strong interest in social leadership and responsibility to study at the University of Cambridge.

This year's scholars combine a strong academic record with highly developed social leadership skills.

Andres Castro Samayoa is the first Gates Cambridge scholar from El Salvador and the first Gates scholar to study for an MPhil in Multi-Disciplinary Gender Studies. He grew up in El Salvador, Honduras and Ecuador and is currently a student at Harvard. He has devoted much of his time at Harvard to working at the Harvard College Women's Center and chairing the Women's Leadership Project, as well as advising first years students through the Advising Programs Office. His research will focus on how higher education institutions can best create environments that are welcoming to diverse experiences and perspectives, especially for all genders and sexualities.

John Christian Ottem is the first Gates Cambridge scholar from Norway. He will study for a PhD in Pure Maths and Mathematical Statistics specialising in algebraic geometry.

Other new scholars include:
- Mathew Tasker from Australia, who will study for an MPhil in Environment, Society and Development. After completing his honours degree in Social Anthropology at the University of Sydney in 2006, he and a partner set up two successful social entrepreneurial projects with Andean Kichwa and Amazonian Sapara indigenous community members in Ecuador. Mathew is also co-founder of an online international network for community-based tourism initiatives and not-for-profits to freely promote their socially and environmentally ethical programs.

- Niamh Skelly from Ireland, who will study for MPhil in Social and Developmental Psychology. After graduating from Trinity College, Dublin, in 2009 she worked with Focus Ireland on a project for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness. For the past three summers, she has been volunteering with Les petits frères des Pauvres in Paris and working with marginalised elderly men and women. She says: "I intend to train as a clinical psychologist, and to advocate throughout my career for improved access to appropriate mental health services for everyone living in Ireland."

- Noa Epstein from Israel who will study for an MBA. Born and raised in Jerusalem, she has been active in "Seeds of Peace", a conflict resolution and leadership programme, has worked as a Parliamentary Assistant to leading Arab MP Dr Ahmad Tibi, and has held leading positions at Peace Now and the Peres Center for Peace. She plans to use her MBA to build economic and social ties between Israeli and Arab companies and entrepreneurs. She says: "My passion for building a constituency for peace between Israel and its Arab neighbours and contributing towards equality and better relations between Jews and Arabs within Israel has become my professional mission."

Gordon Johnson, Provost (CEO) of the Gates Cambridge Trust, said: "We are delighted to have selected 80 new Gates Scholars for entry in October 2010. It's very thrilling that within 10 years we have awarded nearly 1000 scholarships to students from 92 countries to follow a graduate course in Cambridge."

Reproduced courtesy University of Cambridge Office of Communications