Polygeia graduated from Cambridge Social Ventures in July 2016.
A student-led global health think tank that empowers students of all disciplines and stages to research and contribute to global health policy.
Cambridge Social Ventures believes that Polygeia will improve global healthcare provision by conducting high quality research on externally commissioned and internally generated projects, whilst also enabling students to learn relevant skills in real world situations and preparing some for future employment.
Idea
Polygeia provides students with the opportunity to research and write global health policy and to develop skills through workshops, clubs and by actually working on real world global health policies. In doing so, Polygeia also provides its commissioners with highly motivated and skilled students who carry out important research that otherwise may not be achieved.
The idea for Polygeia evolved after Gabriel saw a group of Cambridge students present a policy paper at the House of Lords, written in association with the Cambridge-based student think tank, the Wilberforce Society. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Global Health were very impressed and positive about the quality of the research and Gabriel saw an opportunity to do something bigger.
Now part of Cambridge Social Ventures, Polygeia is keen to establish sustainability by developing at least three income streams:
Commissions from governmental bodies, NGOs and other think tanks.
Grants (from academic research groups).
Sponsorship for events (including an annual conference).
Having successfully launched at its inaugural conference in November 2014, Polygeia is now looking to secure further commissioned work and to recruit student researchers from the Universities of Cambridge, Imperial, Oxford and UCL.
People
Gabriel Lambert, co-founder of Polygeia, is a history graduate from Oxford University who is currently studying medicine at the University of Cambridge. Influencing global health care policy became a vocation for Gabriel following three summers volunteering with an NGO working in Kenya. This experience deepened Gabriel’s interest in international development and global health issues and led to the realisation that he wanted to develop tangible skills that would better enable him to make a positive difference in this area.
Studying for a degree in medicine and founding Polygeia are the perfect vehicles through which Gabriel can channel his vocation to deliver valuable work. We’re looking forward to supporting this venture on its important mission.
Impact
Polygeia fills a research gap in global health policy. High quality research will improve service provision in the global health sector. Providing undergraduates with opportunities to get involved in real world research will encourage some of them to further develop their skills and careers in policy making. As such, the potential long-term social impact of this venture is huge.
Get in touch
Gabriel is interested in connecting with anybody curious to know more, NGOs and other potential funders, as well as any students from any discipline wishing to join the think tank and contribute to global health policy research.
Tel: +44 (0)7817 748051
polygeia.com