University of Birmingham

Notable alumni

• Aba Andam (Ghana)

  Graduated from the University of Birmingham

  Earned a Master’s degree in 1977.

  Lifetime achievements

  A Ghanaian particle physicist and President of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences. Andam served as the UNESCO chair of Women in Science and Technology in the region of West Africa between 1996 and 2002.

• Dr Alwyn Didar Singh (India)

  Graduated from the University of Birmingham

  Earned an MSc in Development Administration in 1996.

  Lifetime achievements

  Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Singh is an internationally recognised expert in e-Commerce and ICT development. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of the University (DUniv) degree by the University of Birmingham in 2014.

• Dr ‘Ana Taufe’Ulungaki (Tonga)

  Graduated from the University of Birmingham

  Earned a PhD.

  Lifetime achievements

  A Tongan academic and politician. She accepted the position of Minister of Education, Women’s Affairs and Culture in 2011, despite not being a Member of Parliament at the time. She is known for her views on the importance of cultural context and socio-political issues when addressing economic development.

• Desra Percaya (Indonesia)

  Graduated from the University of Birmingham

  Earned an MA in International Studies (Diplomacy) in 1995.

  Lifetime achievements

  Director General for Asia, Pacific, and Africa at the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Previously, Percaya was Indonesia’s deputy permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, Switzerland. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of the University degree (DUniv) by the University of Birmingham in 2014.

• Geoffrey Ma (China)

  Graduated from University of Birmingham

  Earned a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) in 1997.

  Lifetime achievements

  Ma held various positions in the High Court of Hong Kong SAR, including Chief Judge, Justice of Appeal, and Judge of the Court of First Instance between 2001 and 2010. Prior to his judicial career, Ma was a barrister-at-law in private practice and was qualified to practice in England and Wales, Hong Kong SAR, Australia and Singapore.

• Hany Abdel Gawad El-Banna OBE (Egypt)

  Graduated from the University of Birmingham

  Earned a Doctorate of Medicine (MD) in Foetal Pathology in 1991.

  Lifetime achievements

  Co-founder of Islamic Relief, the largest Western-based international Muslim relief and development NGO. He has since founded the Muslim Charities Forum (MCF), of which he is chairman and the Humanitarian Forum where he is President of the Board of Trustees.

• Kenny Anthony (St. Lucia)

  Graduated from the University of Birmingham

  Earned a PhD in Law.

  Lifetime achievements

  The 5th Prime Minister of Saint Lucia from 1997 to 2006 and again from 2011 to 2016 for the Saint Lucia Labour Party. While acting as Prime Minister, he was also the Minister of Finance and Broadcasting.

• Michelle Arana (Belize)

  Graduated from the University of Birmingham

  Earned a Master of Laws (LLM) in Commercial Law in 2004.

  Lifetime achievements

  Appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Belize in 2006. Arana was Belize’s first female Justice.

• Robert Kisanga (Tanzania)

  Graduated from the University of Birmingham

  Earned a Bachelor of Laws (LLB). He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2010.

  Lifetime achievements

  A former judge in the High Court of Tanzania and Justice of Appeal at the Court of Appeal of the United Republic of Tanzania. Kisanga served as the first Chairman of the Tanzania Commission for Human Rights and Good Governance.

• Sefi Atta (Nigeria)

  Graduated from University of Birmingham

  Earned a BA in 1985.

  Lifetime achievements

  A prize-winning Nigerian author and playwright whose books have been translated into many languages. Atta has also written radio plays which have been broadcast by the BBC, and stage plays which have been performed all over the world. Her awards include the 2006 Wole Soyinka Prize for Literature in Africa and the 2009 Noma Award for Publishing in Africa.

• Sophie Chandauka (Zimbabwe)

  Attended the University of Birmingham

  Chandauka was awarded a scholarship as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to the United Kingdom during her studies at Lake Superior State University in Michigan, USA, and attended the University of Birmingham for 1 year in 1997.

  Lifetime achievements

  The Corporate Finance Lawyer and former Head of Asset Financing at Virgin Money. Her achievements include her community work as an advocate for education, equality, diversity and inclusion, and also as a mentor for young entrepreneurs and aspiring lawyers.