University of Queensland (UQ) student, Hemanshi Galaiya, has won the prestigious 2025 Universitas 21 (U21) Leaders of the Future Award.
The Kenyan-born PHD candidate at UQ’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) was recognised for her pioneering research in synthetic biology and commitment to expanding access to quality education.
Hemanshi’s academic journey began in Nairobi, Kenya, where she overcame significant personal hardships and entrenched gender stereotypes to become the first university graduate in her family. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of Sheffield, she continued her studies at UQ. With AIBN, her doctoral work focuses on innovative gas-fermentation techniques that transform industrial waste gases into high-value bioplastics.
A keen entrepreneur, Hemanshi is also the founder of Young Stripes, a social enterprise that offers quality educational opportunities to approximately 1,500 students from low-income backgrounds. The initiative provides students with early exposure to STEM subjects in a way that is both inspiring and accessible.
Her deep commitment to improving Kenya’s education system has been recognised on a global scale; she was named ‘Rising Impact Maker in Africa’ at the Global Changemakers Awards and placed as a finalist at the prestigious Falling Walls Lab in Berlin.
At UQ, Hemanshi claimed Startup of the Year in the inaugural Ventures Empower Women’s Accelerator and continues to work with high schools through the Ventures Discovery program. She has also been selected for elite incubator programs with Africa Insight, expanding her entrepreneurial impact across continents.
Hemanshi said she was honoured to receive the U21 Leaders of the Future Award, which was accepted on her behalf by UQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Deborah Terry AC.
“I am incredibly humbled to be recognised for the small role I play in shaping our collective futures,” Hemanshi said.
The U21 Awards are designed to celebrate the achievements of students and recent alumni at member universities who are leading change and collaborating on a global scale.
UQ Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Global Partnerships) Brett Lovegrove said Hemanshi is the kind of globally minded, impact-driven researcher that the University is proud to support.
“Motivated by urgent global climate challenges—such as the devastating floods in Kenya— Hemanshi is actively advancing progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the areas of climate action, responsible consumption, and sustainable innovation,” Mr Lovegrove said.
“Her research and community engagement, particularly her work on transforming pollutant gases into bioplastics, hold remarkable potential for positive impact in communities around the world.”
The U21 2025 Symposium, ‘Imagining the Future of Higher Education’, provided a platform for robust discussions about the evolving role of higher education institutions in addressing global challenges through research, education, and public engagement. UQ’s attendance at the event, held at the University of California, Davis, was part of the May 2025 Senior Executive Mission to North America, encompassing partnership events in the United States and Canada.
