We are delighted to announce that Roger de Freitas, a University of Exeter alumnus (Politics, 1971), has renewed his commitment to support our MSc Environment and Human Health students by providing an additional £6,000 in conference bursary funding.

This bursary has already enabled many students to attend major international conferences, enriching their studies and professional networks. Dr Matthew Lee, who used the funding to attend the International Association of People and Environment Studies conference in Barcelona, said:

“The experience was inspiring and has fuelled my drive to complete my degree and campaign for healthcare professionals to build a closer relationship with nature for the sake of public health.”

The funding helped another student, Jessica Rossi Christensen, attend the International Society for Evolutionary Medicine and Public Health conference. She highlighted how the event helped to shape her academic and career direction:

“The conference helped me realise that my background and unique interests – bridging evolutionary science, the environment, and human health, along with my technical skills in evidence synthesis, science writing, and education – position me uniquely as a boundary-spanning professional.”

The continued generosity from Roger de Freitas will ensure that many more students can gain exposure to cutting-edge discussions on the environment and health, fostering the next generation of researchers and professionals in this vital field.

You can find out more about our MSc programme here.