The alumna of the year award, established in 2009, was set up to encourage students and alumni to value their contribution to society as highly as their career goals and other aspirations. Each year, the award-winner is invited to accept the accolade at the second-year undergraduates’ Half-Way Hall and give a keynote address.

Arwa Hassan is this year’s winner. For 18 years Arwa worked for the anti-corruption NGO Transparency International, and is now at the International Development Agency of the German Government (GIZ).

Whilst with Transparency International, Arwa was given responsibility for the Middle East, travelling across the whole Middle East North Africa region over a period of two decades. She worked with governments, civil society and the private sector to promote transparency in government and business and support various stakeholders to combat corruption. In 2016, Arwa moved to GIZ to head the Good Governance Yemen programme.

Arwa also represented her year (1991) in last year's 50th anniversary stories, celebrating 50 years of co-education at Clare.

The Alumnus of the Year award has highlighted the work and achievements of some truly inspiring Clare members, including our current Master, Loretta Minghella.

Listen to all our previous winners here.