The Gates Cambridge Trust was established in October 2000 by a donation of US$210m from the Gates Foundation to the University of Cambridge. This remains the largest single donation to a UK university.

The Trust has a Board of nine distinguished Trustees (two of whom are appointed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the remainder by the University) who meet twice a year to decide on the overall strategic direction of the programme. The Provost (CEO) is supported by a Director of Finance and a Programme Director and a small administrative team who manage all operational aspects of the Trust’s activities. Full details are available on the People page.

The Trust is regulated by the Higher Education Funding Council in England via the University of Cambridge.

The University of Cambridge has attracted many of the very best minds since 1209.

Today the University has grown to around 20,000 students, 7,500 of whom are graduate students. Of those graduate students, 50% come from overseas, and over 40% are women. The University and its Colleges are spread throughout the city.

Consistently ranked among the top universities in both national and international league tables, the University of Cambridge offers a world leading graduate education. With a global outlook and reach, our mission is to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence.