Malala Yousafzai, the Nobel Prize winning activist who narrowly avoided death after being shot by the Pakistani Taliban, will attend Lady Margaret Hall (LMH) after meeting her AAA A-level offer today.
In a tweet, Yousafzai expressed her excitement at the prospect of coming up to Oxford, whilst wishing luck to fellow sixth formers receiving their A level results.
So excited to go to Oxford!! Well done to all A-level students – the hardest year. Best wishes for life ahead! pic.twitter.com/miIwK6fNSf
— Malala (@Malala) August 17, 2017
Speaking at an education conference in Birmingham, Yousafzai told the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) she wanted to stay focussed on her Malala Fund work.
In January, Yousafzai confirmed in an interview that she had sat an interview at LMH, which she described as “the hardest interview of my life.”
It was later reported by The Telegraph and Cherwell in March that Malala had received an offer from the college.
In studying PPE at LMH, Yousafzai will hope to follow the path of her hero Benazir Bhutto, the former Prime Minister of Pakistan. Bhutto, who served as President of the Oxford Union, was assassinated in 2007 by Al-Qaeda.
Yousafzai has lived in Birmingham since being treated at the city’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital after surviving an assassination attempt by Taliban gunmen in 2012.
While living under Taliban rule, Yousafzai had written a blog under a pseudonym which featured her thoughts on girls’ education.
She later rose to global prominence as a campaigner for girls’ education. In 2013, she addressed the General Assembly of the United Nations, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.
In a statement, Bob Price, the Leader of Oxford City Council, welcomed Malala’s announcement. He said: “The City Council is delighted to welcome Malala Yousafzai to Oxford. It is a great privilege for the city and the University that Malala has chosen to come here and we wish her every success in her studies, and happiness during her time as one of our citizens.
“Malala’s courage and intelligence have been inspirational to many young people across the world, and her stand against intolerance, violence and prejudice has been an example for us all.”
Oxford University and Lady Margaret Hall have been contacted for comment.
