skip to content

For staff

 

Prathiba M Singh Scholarship awarded in India.

Ties between the University of Cambridge and India were reaffirmed at a ceremony in Delhi for the award of the Prathiba M Singh Scholarship. The scholarship, which allows an outstanding Indian candidate to study an Master’s degree in Law at the University of Cambridge, was given to Ashwini Vaidialingam, who will be studying at Wolfson College.

An alumna of the Faculty of Law, where she completed the LLM in 1992, Prathiba M Singh (Hughes Hall) hosted the event to celebrate the award of the scholarship named after her.  Following her Cambridge degree, Mrs Singh returned to India to specialise in Intellectual Property law, and became managing partner of the Singh & Singh Law Firm in New Delhi. She is now considered one of India’s leading IP litigators, and in 2013 was designated Senior Advocate by the Delhi High Court –the first occasion that an IP practitioner has been elevated to this role.

She established the scholarship in 2013, in partnership with the Cambridge Commonwealth European and International Trust, to support talented Indian applicants wishing to undertake an LLM in Cambridge.

“Had I not had a scholarship from the Cambridge Trust, I would have gotten myself into debt, which means I would not have been able to come back to India to practice law,” said Mrs Singh. “The scholarship has the purpose of recognising merit, of supporting deserving candidates, and encouraging meritorious students to go abroad and then come back to make a contribution to their country.”

Ashwini Vaidialingam, one of six candidates for this year’s scholarship, graduated with five gold medals from her law degree at the National Law School of India University, in Bangalore. As an undergraduate she developed an interest in Intellectual Property, which she hopes to pursue further in Cambridge.

One of the joint awardees of the Prathiba M Singh scholarhip for 2015-16, Ms Deepshika Malhotra spoke of her joy at being offered the award, and of unexpectedly meeting Professor Stephen Hawking. Quoting the slogan for the University’s fundraising campaign she added: “I really believe that the people who arrive in Cambridge change the city, and that the ideas that leave Cambridge  change the world.”

Before presenting Ms Vaidialingam with her scholarship letter, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, said: “At Cambridge, you are always following in the footsteps of other great thinkers in your field.” Turning to Ms Vaidialingam he added: “Our expectations of you are very high.”

Date awarded

12 September 2016

Subjects

Submit a story

If you would like to submit a story for inclusion in our awards section please fill out the request form.