• Charles Sturt alumnus receives a second Gates Cambridge Scholarship
• Mr Grant Kynaston is the fourth Australian to receive the scholarship twice
• Scholarship will support his PhD studies at the University of Cambridge

A Charles Sturt University alumnus is one of only four Australians to receive a second Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge.

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship was launched in 2000 with a $210 million donation to the University of Cambridge from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, with 77 postgraduate scholarships awarded this year.

In 2019 Mr Grant Kynaston was the first Charles Sturt graduate to receive the prestigious scholarship and is now the fourth Australian to receive the scholarship twice.

He will commence a three-year PhD in Classics in October this year, and said he was honoured to be a member of the Gates Cambridge class of 2020.

“It is truly an honour to be only the fourth Australian to receive the Gates Cambridge Scholarship twice,” Mr Kynaston said.

“I greatly appreciate the continued support of the Gates Cambridge Trust, as well as the opportunity to remain a part of the vibrant Gates Cambridge community.”

Mr Kynaston graduated from Charles Sturt in 2019 with a Master of Islamic Studies offered by the University’s Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation.

He was later awarded his first Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study a Master of Philosophy in Classics, which he commenced in October last year.

“Studying abroad at the University of Cambridge has been a phenomenal experience,” he said.

“I have benefitted immensely not only from the academic rigour of the University, but also from the opportunity to collaborate with students and academics with similar interests and areas of expertise.

“My studies at Charles Sturt University have been immensely helpful to my research at Cambridge, as much of my work focuses on how Greek and Latin interacted with Semitic languages and cultures, both before and after the emergence of Islam.

“The various community events, seminars and extra-curricular classes provided by Charles Sturt University’s Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation truly enriched my studies, giving me a deeper insight into the subject area.”

Since the first cohort of Gates Cambridge Scholars in 2001, more than 1,700 scholars have been selected from more than 100 countries.