Malala Yousafzai is celebrating her first lectures at Oxford University five years to the day after being shot by the Taliban in a case that shocked the world.
The 20-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner tweeted a pictured today of her laptop, textbooks and a pencil as she begins her studies in Philosophy, Politics and Economics.
Alongside the image, she added: ‘Five years ago, I was shot in an attempt to stop me from speaking out for girls’ education. Today, I attend my first lectures at Oxford’.
Malala Yousafzai tweeted a pictured today of her laptop, textbooks and a pencil as she begins her studies in Philosophy, Politics and Economics
Miss Yousafzai will be following in the footsteps of world leaders by studying a course that has been dubbed the degree that ‘rules’ Britain
Miss Yousafzai’s opportunity may have been unimaginable five years ago.
Her career as an activist began in early 2009, when she started writing a blog for the BBC about her life under Taliban occupation and promoting education for girls in Pakistan’s Swat Valley.
But her campaign angered local militants and she was shot in the head during an assassination attempt while taking the bus to school.
She was treated at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital and made the city her home, going on to study at Edgbaston High School in Birmingham since 2013.
Social media users were quick to congratulate her, including her brother Khushal, who replied: ‘Sorry for being a headache for the last 5years. So grateful you are still with us. Ik you miss me but i am coming to oxford in 2years.’
Her campaign for education angered local militants and she was shot in the head during an assassination attempt while taking the bus to school
Social media users were quick to congratulate her, including her brother Khushal
She jokingly responded that she would switch universities if her brother followed in her footsteps
Other social media users were quick to congratulate her on her achievements
She joking responded: ‘Okay, after two years, I am going to change my university then’.
Another social media user said: ‘May you always scale new heights of awesomenes’, while she was also described as ‘The real wonder woman’.
Miss Yousafzai will be following in the footsteps of world leaders by studying a course that has been dubbed the degree that ‘rules’ Britain.
Notable alumni include former premier of Pakistan Benazir Bhutto, a heroine of Miss Yousafzai, and Burma’s pro-democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi as well as former British prime minister David Cameron and his one-time Labour opponent Ed Miliband.
PPE is also one of the prestigious university’s most over-subscribed courses, according to figures shown to the Press Association earlier this month.
Two years ago, Miss Yousafzai received 6A*s and 4As during her GCSEs.
Malala holds up her medal during the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo, Norway, in December 2014
Miss Yousafzai, who narrowly avoided death in 2012, said she was ‘so excited to go to Oxford’ when she received her results
The grades included A*s in maths, biology, chemistry and physics, and As in history and geography.
She also got an A* in religious studies and maths IGCSE, as well as As in English language and literature.
In 2014 she became the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and her campaign for children’s rights to education across the world has seen her addressing the United Nations on the issue.
Aged just 17, she was presented with her award at a star-studded ceremony, attended by Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler, Queen Latifah and the Norwegian royal family.
At the time, she set her sights on the top office in Pakistan, and said: ‘If I can serve my country best through politics and through becoming a prime minister then I would definitely choose that.’