QS ImpACT Women's Scholarship: 2026 winner

I moved from Bangalore, India to London five years ago to study Design Engineering at Imperial College London. After spending the first eighteen years of my life in India, I wanted a completely new perspective and experience where I could feel more independent.

Since moving here, I have genuinely fallen in love with this city. I have met friends who now feel like family, and I love how the city combines incredible universities with such a strong entrepreneurial culture. After also spending a year working in industry, I realised London really does offer so many different opportunities, whether that is research, start-ups or corporate careers. It feels like a city where you can constantly reinvent yourself, especially in your twenties.

What makes London particularly special to me is its diversity. Being surrounded by people from so many different cultures and backgrounds has constantly exposed me to new ways of thinking and approaching problems. I think some of the most interesting ideas come from bringing together perspectives that would not usually meet, and London creates an environment where those connections happen every day. 
 

Honestly, I felt incredibly honoured and proud. After graduating it is really easy to become lost because suddenly all your peers are doing completely different things. For years, you are all working towards the same degree and shared milestones, and then everyone begins making their own choices, which naturally makes you question whether you are making the right decisions.


Receiving the scholarship really reassured me that I was heading in the right direction. It was amazing to have that recognition from QS, and of course the financial support has also taken some of the pressure off paying my tuition fees. 

Obviously, the financial support will make a huge difference, but I also think the recognition itself is just as important.

Receiving the scholarship has allowed me to benefit from independent recognition of the work I have done so far, giving me more confidence when applying for research grants and external scholarships throughout my PhD. The scholarship has helped lay the foundation for the research I hope to pursue over the coming years.
 

I am most excited about spending the next few years working on a problem I genuinely care about.

I am particularly looking forward to being part of UCL's Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering department and learning from researchers with expertise across water, environmental and infrastructure systems.

I also hope to attend conferences and connect with researchers, industry partners and international stakeholders who are working on similar challenges around the world. I think being part of those conversations will broaden my perspective and help me understand how my research can incorporate diverse viewpoints and respond to the different contexts in which environmental challenges are experienced.

I definitely see myself building a career within sustainability, whether that is through research, consulting, or eventually starting another company.

Coming from a Design Engineering background, I do not expect my career path to be completely linear. The interdisciplinary nature of the degree has exposed me to such a broad range of topics and opportunities that it has made me curious about many different areas. However, I am excited to see where my research at UCL takes me, and how my interests continue to develop and become more focused over the next few years.

I think the biggest piece of advice I would give is to really believe in what you are writing about. Choose something that you genuinely care about and that has shaped the person you are today, rather than trying to write what you think the panel wants to hear.


I also nearly did not apply because I assumed it would be far too competitive. Looking back, I am so glad I did. Sometimes the hardest part is simply believing that you are worthy of applying in the first place.