Each year, the Study UK Alumni Awards celebrate international graduates who have used their UK education to make a meaningful difference in the world. Delivered by the British Council, the awards recognise alumni whose studies have shaped careers marked by influence, innovation and leadership across business, science, culture and social action.
This year, Durham graduates once again feature among the most outstanding alumni worldwide. From more than 1,800 global applications, just 28 individuals were selected as global finalists. Alongside this, only ten alumni were shortlisted nationally in each participating country. So far, two Durham alumni have been announced as national award winners, with several more named as finalists.
Together, these achievements highlight the global reach and lasting value of a Durham education – and the many ways our international alumni are shaping research, industry and public debate well beyond graduation.
A global awards programme
The Study UK Alumni Awards recognise international graduates across four categories: Business and Innovation; Science and Sustainability; Culture and Creativity; and Social Action. The programme celebrates individuals who have drawn on their UK education to create positive change in their professions, communities and countries.
This year, Durham alumni include two national award winners, six national finalists and one global finalist. Their work spans fields from mineral science and planetary exploration to space technology, law and documentary filmmaking – reflecting both individual excellence and the strength of a university education rooted in curiosity, rigour and global perspective.
Dr Yang Li
National Winner – Science and Sustainability
Dr Yang Li came to Durham in 2013 to begin a PhD in Geoscience, his first experience of studying outside China. During his doctoral research, he made a discovery that transformed understanding of how mineral deposits form, showing that ore systems develop in rapid bursts rather than slowly over geological time.
The finding reshaped thinking in both academic geology and the mining industry. After graduating, Dr Li undertook postdoctoral research at Yale University before returning to China through the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ highly competitive 100 Talents Programme.
Now a tenured Associate Professor at Peking University, his research spans critical minerals and planetary science, including work on rare earth elements and samples returned from the far side of the Moon. Alongside research, he remains committed to training early-career scientists through large-scale international collaboration.
Yuk Chi Chan
National Winner – Business and Innovation
Yuk Chi Chan’s career crosses engineering, law, space technology and entrepreneurship. After serving with the Singapore Army Engineers, he moved to the UK to study law, drawn to Durham’s academic rigour and collegiate culture.
After completing his LL.B., he established South-East Asia’s first dedicated space law practice, advising governments and international bodies on space regulation and sustainability. While working as a mission manager at a UK satellite company, he identified a major industry challenge: fragmented data creating risk and inefficiency across space programmes.
To address this, he founded Charter, the world’s first financial-technology company built specifically for the space sector. Charter now works with organisations including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the US Space Force and global insurers. Yuk Chi regularly returns to Durham as a visiting lecturer and mentor.
Aslıgül Armağan
Global Finalist – Culture and Creativity
From more than 1,800 applicants worldwide, Aslıgül Armağan was selected as one of only 28 global finalists in the 2026 Study UK Alumni Awards. A graduate of History and Classics at Durham, she went on to complete an MSc in Global Media and Communications at the London School of Economics before building an international career in documentary filmmaking.
Her work explores truth, power and human rights. Films including The Dissident and Icarus: The Aftermath have premiered at major festivals, received a BAFTA nomination, and contributed to global public-awareness campaigns.
Now based in the United States, Aslıgül works across filmmaking, journalism and advocacy. She is a BAFTA member, judges the BAFTA Student Awards, mentors emerging filmmakers and lectures internationally.
Our 2026 national finalists
Alongside our national winners and global finalist, we are proud to recognise the following national finalists from across our international alumni community:
- Dr Mohammad Alshehri
Business and Innovation Award, Qatar
Ustinov College, Computer Science (2018–2024) - Adnan Ahsan Khan
Culture, Creativity and Sport Award, Pakistan
St Mary’s College, International Trade and Commercial Law (2011–2013) - Barbara Ackonor
Business and Innovation Award, Ghana
Ustinov College, Economics and Finance (2013–2014) - Dr Ho Nam
Science and Sustainability Award, Vietnam
St Aidan’s College, Business Administration (2020) - Dr Jitendra Thakur
Science and Sustainability Award, India
St Aidan’s College, Geography (2010–2016)
