The inspirational Malala Yousafzai could soon be leaving British shores as she considers studying for a politics degree in the United States.
The 18-year-old Nobel Laureate visited Stamford University, in California, earlier this year with her family and is currently planning the next step in her educational life.
Just three years ago, in October 2012, Malala was shot in the head by Taliban forces in her native Swat Valley, in northwest Pakistan, as she spoke out about the lack of opportunities in education for girls.
Having been flown to the UK for treatment to her injuries, Malala remained in Birmingham where she has attended school and college, currently studying A-levels in history, maths, religious studies and geography.
She has become a global advocate for rights to education for all and has been honoured by institutions around the world.
Now, her father, Ziauddin, has admitted to the Sunday Times newspaper that his daughter could be tempted by overseas studies with the weather amongst a number of factors.
“They have 300 days of sun out of 365 days, which is a rare phenomenon in the UK. Three hundred days of sun makes a difference,” he said.
Malala will receive her A-level qualifications next year yet has not ruled out studying in the UK.
While Stamford appears to be her favoured choice, Oxford has not been ruled out and she has visited the university with a teacher from her independent girls’ school in Edgbaston.
Malala, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year, has voiced an ambition to return to Pakistan one day and become a politician, with degrees in Oxford’s acclaimed PPE (philosophy, politics and economics) likely to prove ideal for this ambition.
