Akanmu, UNILAG’s best graduating student becomes Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford

David Akanmu, who was the Best Graduating Student at the 54th convocation ceremony of the University of Lagos, UNILAG, has been selected as a 2024 Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University in the United States.

Akanmu’s selection was announced yesterday.

It was the third time a graduate of the university would be clinching the award.

UNILAG is the only African university among the 60 from where the 2024 cohort of 90 new scholars emerged.

According to the announcement, Akanmu is one of five Africans, the only one from an African-based tertiary institution, selected to join the 2024 cohort, which is is the seventh and largest cohort since the inception of the award.

He will be pursuing a Ph.D in Energy Science and Engineering at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability.

He graduated with a perfect Cumulative Grade Point Average, CGPA, of 5.0 in Civil Engineering at the UNILAG Convocation Ceremonies held in January.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars is a multidisciplinary, multicultural graduate fellowship programme spanning all seven schools at Stanford University.

Knight-Hennessy scholars receive up to three years of financial support to pursue graduate studies at Stanford while engaging in experiences that prepare them to be visionary, courageous, and collaborative leaders who address complex challenges facing the world.

Scholars are selected based on their demonstration of independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset.

Application for the 2025 cohort will open on June 1, 2024, and end on October 9, 2024.

The Vice-Chancellor, UNILAG, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, has congratulated Akanmu on his feat.