Five years later: the Dr Monica Malik Refugee Bursary

Dr Monica Malik (Geography, 1992) is an economist and founder of the Dr Monica Malik Refugee Bursary. Launched in 2018, the bursary provides scholarships for talented postgraduate refugees from all over the world. 

Originally from India, Dr Malik grew up in the Netherlands. Now based in the UAE, Monica has enjoyed a varied career and has written several books and articles on economies across the Arab Gulf region.  

We first met Dr Malik in 2019, when she spoke to InTouch about the bursary. Five years later, Monica fills us in on how the programme has progressed, shares stories from some of the extraordinary students she has supported and explains the part education has played in her own journey.  

Why did you create the Refugee Bursary? 

I’ve always been interested in development (improving the standard of living, economic growth and social conditions in developing countries) and improving the livelihoods of people from emerging market economies. I chose to study Geography at King’s partly because of the course’s focus on development. After graduating, I did a master’s degree in Development Economics and later did my PhD on the Gulf region.  

My career then took a different path, and I wasn't working directly in development; so I felt it was important to do something within my own capacity. I place a great deal of value on the learning process, and I wanted to give students who are eager to learn the same opportunities I had.  

Why did you decide to give to refugees? 

I wanted to give people who had lost so much a chance to rebuild their lives and to let them know that someone cares. 

The more research I did, the more I realised how limited the options are for refugees. A lot of refugees receive student loans or grants from the UK government. However, they often aren’t able to take advantage of that support because they can’t afford basic living conditions.