The Masters in Conservation Leadership programme at the University of Cambridge offers a unique opportunity to put your skills into practice with our Professional Placement.
From May to August, current cohort students will work alongside experienced professionals at a leading conservation organisation, tackling a carefully designed project that addresses a critical leadership challenge.
This is their chance to:
✅ Develop and demonstrate your conservation leadership abilities
✅ Put classroom concepts into action
✅ Contribute to meaningful, real-world conservation efforts
On May 21-22, our students showcased their placement projects and shared their experiences during captivating presentations. Their diverse range of projects include:
1. Ivanny Hernandez (Fauna & Flora) - Analysing partnerships with CBOs to promote effective relationships
2. Leona Bhuyan (Fauna & Flora) - Developing behavioural change communications to address wildlife trade in Africa
3. Mariana Gnecco-Polania (Fauna & Flora) - Investigating community-led marine protection in Scotland
4. Mei Mei Chow (Fauna & Flora) - Creating a training resource for facilitating strategic planning with partner organisations
5. Ormon Sultangaziev (Fauna & Flora) - Researching the impact of mindfulness and wellbeing initiatives on staff performance and leadership
6. Tambudzai Matenga (Fauna & Flora) - Developing a framework for locally-based conservation groups to navigate biodiversity credits in Scotland
7. Yasemin Ulusoy (Fauna & Flora) - Supporting the design and preparatory work for the 'Conservation futures' initiative
8. Kai Hu (Cambridge Conservation Initiative) - Evaluating the influence of artist residencies on community perspectives and conservation
9. Boris Bozic (UNEP-WCMC) - Supporting the private sector in designing nature-positive renewable energy developments
10. Nobert Nyandire (UNEP-WCMC) - Analysing European Union environmental policy and the biodiversity nexus
11. Simon Odawa (UNEP-WCMC) - Examining the practical implications of 'whole-of-government' and 'whole-of-society' approaches in implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
12. Harshini de Silva (Conservation Leadership) - Conducting a needs assessment to inform the development of a short course for CBD National Focal Points
13. Caesar Rahman (PRC Indonesia) - Managing partnerships among conservation NGOs in the Batang Toru Ecosystem, North Sumatra
14. Borwen Sayon (Maasai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association) - Investigating the impact of MMWCA's internship program on youth leadership, learning, and conservation education
15. Iyanuoluwa Shittu (IMPACT Madagascar) - Improving IMPACT Madagascar's communication strategies and plans for sustainable growth
16. Shelby Dye (Traditional Ecosystems Survival Tanzania) - Developing strategic and business plans for Traditional Ecosystems Survival Tanzania (TEST)
17. Maria Moreno (World Land Trust) - Exploring marketing strategies to strengthen WLT partners' local businesses
18. Asma Hirsi (BirdLife International) - Increasing the coverage and quality of marine protection across exclusive economic zones
19. Czarina Panopio (BirdLife International) - Exploring how to improve the effectiveness of projects aiming to motivate positive environmental behaviour across the BLI partnership
20. Sofia Pastor (BirdLife International) - Empowering women for biodiversity conservation
21. Asif Yousuf (BTO) - Assessing the UK's funding landscape to support and equip the BTO fundraising team with a robust and dynamic fundraising strategy
These projects demonstrate the breadth and depth of our students' expertise, passion, and commitment to driving positive change in conservation.
