Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist for girls’ education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, was given a honorary fellowship by Oxford University’s Linacre College. With this, Malala became the first Pakistani to receive the honour, the Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP) announced.
The award was handed to the activist in a ceremony. Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse and the first Speaker of the National Assembly of the Parliament of South Africa Dr Frene Ginwala were also awarded this honorary fellowship by the college.
Malala reminisced visiting her friends at Linacre College and praised the OPP’s influence saying that the partnership is changing the lives of students in Pakistan. Principal Dr. Nick Brown appreciated Malala for her efforts saying, “Malala is globally recognised for her extraordinary work in support of women’s education, particularly for those from the least advantaged backgrounds”.
Malala’s father Ziauddin Yousafzai said, “It is a huge honour for my daughter to receive this recognition. I could see the joy on Malala’s face when she received the honour, and as a proud father, I am extremely happy for her.”
“I know that she will use this opportunity to further expand her work and collaborate with others to find solutions to the challenges in access to education for girls,” he added.