A University of Westminster alumna has won a prestigious Social Impact Award for her work on the advancement of affordable housing around the world.
Dr Orna Rosenfeld, who completed a PhD in Urban Regeneration and Development at the University of Westminster, was presented with the honour at the Study UK Alumni Awards Europe 2021 hosted by the British Council.
Dr Rosenfeld is a global advisor on housing, research scientist and author. She has provided research and consultation to governments, cities and an extensive number of international organisations including the European Commission, European Investment Bank, World Bank, Council of Europe Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, thus contributing to the provision of affordable housing in 56 countries in Europe, North America and Central Asia.
She is currently supporting leaders of global organisations to undertake agenda-setting research, advance housing policy and investment in pursuit of inclusive recovery post-Covid-19.
The Study UK Alumni Awards were developed by the British Council and UK universities in 2014 to celebrate UK higher education and the achievements of UK alumni all over the world.
Award winners and finalists are leaders in their fields who have used their experience of studying at a UK university to make a positive contribution to their communities, professions and countries.
More than 1,300 international UK alumni from more than 114 countries, representing more than 148 UK higher education institutions across the UK, applied to this year’s Awards.
Dr Orna Rosenfeld said: “I am deeply honoured to have been selected as a winner of the Study UK Social Impact Award 2021 for Europe. I am earnestly grateful for the recognition of a decade of work for the advancement of the housing and affordable housing sector in the European Union and the Global North.
“Winning this award would not have been possible without the support and inspiration I have received from my PhD supervisors and my colleagues at the Westminster University as well as from the British Council and Chevening.
“This award is testimony to the magnitude of the social impact housing has on our lives and societies as well as the importance of education to advance it. But our work has just begun.
“Covid-19 has exposed housing challenges and inequalities that have been escalating since the global financial crisis. Indeed, housing remains one of the key challenges to tackle in ensuring inclusive, resilient, and sustainable post-Covid-19 recovery.
“I dedicate this award to this vital work and efforts ahead. Thank you!”
Professor Alex Hughes, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Global Engagement and Employability, said: “I am delighted that Dr Orna Rosenfeld’s work on affordable housing around the world has been recognised with a Social Impact Award in the EU, as part of the Study UK Alumni Awards. That she will now become a finalist for the global Social Impact Award is further testament to the impact and importance of her area of expertise.
"The University of Westminster is a truly global institution, and we are very pleased indeed to celebrate the international scope of her contribution to affordable housing policy.”
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