Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be conferred with an honorary degree to recognise his professional achievements and his philanthropic work, especially for underprivileged children and women empowerment during his visit to Australia next month.
La Trobe University will award Mr Khan with the Doctor of Letters (honoris causa) in recognition of his work through the MEER Foundation – named after his father Meer Taj Mohammed Khan, and his achievements as an actor.
La Trobe University Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Dewar, said Mr Khan’s philanthropic leadership closely aligns with the University’s values.
Shah Rukh Khan at the premiere for 'My name is Khan' as part of the 5th Rome Film Fest, Italy. Source: AAP
“Mr Khan is a champion of societal change whose efforts to support the equality of women in India reflect La Trobe’s values of inclusiveness, equity and social justice,” Professor Dewar said.
53-year-old Mr Khan’s acting career spans over nearly four decades. Beginning with acting in television shows in 1980s, he made his Bollywood debut in 1992 and has since appeared in over 80 movies and has won fourteen Film Fare awards. His dominance in the Hindi film industry during the last three decades has earned him the moniker of “Badshah Khan” and he is often referred to as the “king of Bollywood”.
While his on-screen work has won him millions of fans across the globe, his off-screen philanthropic endeavours are unbeknown to many.
Through MEER Foundation, Mr Khan supports the cause of acid attack survivors. The Foundation provides support to female victims of acid attacks and major burn injuries and not just helps with their medical treatment, but also with legal aid, vocational training as well as rehabilitation and livelihood support.
The Foundation also helps with the medical treatment of underprivileged children and women and organises health camps, movie screenings and other events to support them.
Mr Khan said having his humanitarian endeavours recognised for the first time in Australia was a great honour.
“I feel truly privileged to receive this Honorary Doctorate and I would like to sincerely thank La Trobe for choosing to recognise my achievements in such a humbling way,” he said.
Elton John, Shah Rukh Khan and Cate Blanchett, at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Monday, Jan. 22, 2018. Source: AAP
The University will present Mr Khan with his Honorary Doctorate on 9 August at its Melbourne Campus in Bundoora.
