Kamola Makhmudova, 2018 

Kamola read business administration at Clare and is now Country Head at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in Azerbaijan. She is also Non-Executive director for a number of charities, including a private university, International Compliance Association UK and founder of ACAMS chapter in Eurasia.

Who was your greatest Clare influence and why?

My greatest Clare College influence was, and is, Sir David Attenborough. For the last 20 years my family have been big fans of his inspiring nature documentaries. I also started to understand the impact of climate change through attending his lectures and talks. My business administration course included lectures on the circular economy, so climate activism is my daily work – and charity work in my private time – moving to improve the long term future.

Kamola's Story

Right from the Open days in Cambridge and Clare, I met the most diverse crowd I have ever seen and I instantly had a feeling I belonged there.

During my course, I even became friends with porters who fascinated me with their hobbies. For example, one of the Memorial Court porters told me how he knows everything about earthquakes, he even told me when to expect the next big one. I was listening to him on a late November evening, very tired after long day of lectures, but thinking to myself - only in Cambridge you can meet a porter with such deep knowledge of earthquakes. And guess what, in May next year just as he predicted, there was a big earthquake in the geographic area he highlighted to me.

The staff of the college are kind and curious and it feels like family. The college dinners were another highlight. I met the most extraordinary inspiring scientists, researchers, including a PhD candidate in sensor technologies, Greta Sneideriene.

Another inspiration is my fellow Clare college student, Michele Ryan, who talked me into running the London marathon for charity. I had never run a race longer that 5k, but decided to join at least to try my luck at what I like to call “Funraising”. I accidentally found out, not only I can run a long race, but also I am a great Fun and Fund raiser.

I went on to build three charity projects in education, healthcare and the environment, which mobilised donations of $1.1 m in the past three years. My last project is called Green Bukhara, where I, together with Cambridge scientist Dr Temur Yunusov, collectively raised €100k. Between us, our fundraising efforts led to the planting of almost 7,000 adult trees, bushes and shrubs, all helping to reduce air temperature, prevent sand storms and flooding in Bukhara. In 2020, for my charity work, I received the Friendship Order, one of the highest civil awards in Uzbekistan.

My Cambridge graduation ceremony fell among some of the darkest and challenging days of my life, and I can’t thank enough the college staff for making the graduation for me and my family the most memorable and joyful day of all times!

With my hand on my heart (Uzbek way) thank you for happiest 2 years at Clare.