Education activist Malala Yousafzai received an honorary degree as part of King’s 225th Encaenia celebrations on 15 May 2014. Ms Yousafzai was awarded a Doctor of Civil Law for her dedication to universal education and the rights of the individual, particularly for girls and women.
To mark the historic occasion, King’s announced the creation of the Malala Yousafzai Canada Scholarships, which will be open to young women from developing countries who would not otherwise be able to afford a post-secondary education. The scholarships will cover all tuition, residence and travel fees and are renewable for the full four years of an undergraduate degree, at which point a new scholar will be selected. With an annual value of $30,000 (worth $120,000 over four years), it is the university’s largest scholarship offered to international students.
Through an equal partnership with Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC), King’s is pleased to be able to offer two Malala Yousafzai Canada Scholarships in this inaugural year. The IDRC and the Malala Fund will help King’s to identify and nominate qualified candidates.
Resources
- Scholarship announcement
- More information about this year’s honorary degree recipients
- Photos of degree recipients
- Honorary degree citations
Additional Information
Photo Credit: Edelman
About Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai was born in 1997 and grew up in the Swat Valley in northern Pakistan. From the age of 10, she campaigned for the right of girls to receive an education, and wrote a blog for the BBC that talked about life under Taliban rule. In October 2012, the Taliban shot Malala, then aged 15, as she travelled home from school on the bus. Now recovered and living in Birmingham, UK, with her family, Malala has been honoured around the world for her bravery and dedication to her cause. The Malala Fund, an international fund that she established, is dedicated to promoting education for girls throughout the world.
About the International Development Research Centre
A key part of Canada’s foreign policy efforts, IDRC supports research in developing countries to promote growth and development. The result is innovative, lasting solutions that aim to improve lives and livelihoods. Media contact: Isabelle Bourgeault-Tassé, tel 613.696.2343. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.