Rameen Iftikhar, who completed a master’s degree in international education development at Penn’s Graduate School of Education in January 2025, has been awarded a Gates Cambridge Scholarship to pursue a PhD in education at the University of Cambridge in England.

Ms. Iftikhar, from Pakistan, is one of 95 new Gates Cambridge Scholars selected worldwide. The scholarship covers the full cost of studying at Cambridge for as long as four years, as well as additional discretionary funding.

Drawing from her background in economics, politics, and international development, Ms. Iftikhar’s doctoral research explores the potential of communities to expand girls’ education and life paths. Her work investigates whether the knowledge, skills, and resources that young girls gain from education translate into capabilities that allow them to pursue alternative life paths and envisions communities as key levers of change in these relationships.

Ms. Iftikhar received the President Gutmann Leadership Award in 2024, recognizing original research contributions and providing funding for conference travel in Europe. She was a graduate research assistant for the course Teaching Beyond September 11 and a course assistant for Education in Developing Countries, both taught by GSE’s Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher.