BA (Hons) Fashion graduate, Ria Sharma has been nominated for the prestigious Education UK Alumni Awards 2016 in the Social Impact Award Category for India.
The Award acknowledges alumni who have made an exceptional contribution and commitment to creating positive social change and improving the lives of others.
Ria grew up in New Delhi and moved to the UK to study fashion at the College, graduating in 2014. During her final year project Ria became interested in the survivors of acid attacks. After graduating she founded Make Love Not Scars, an organisation aiming to identify and support the rehabilitation of acid attack survivors. Ria was awarded the KaramVeer Chakra and Global Fellowship in March 2015.
Image: Ria during an interview with Discovery in February 2016.
Ria is one of just three finalists for the Social Impact Award, India. Her fellow nominees hail from the London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE) and the University of Oxford.
The prestige of winning an Education UK Alumni Award is far reaching; the benefits to awardees include enhanced global status and strengthened professional networks.
The Awards for India will be held at a formal dinner in Delhi on Saturday 19 March 2016 and will be attended by Leeds College of Art Director of Studies - Higher Education Enhancement and Research, Professor Randall Whittaker.
Jacqueline Jenkins, Senior Adviser, Education Engagement at the British Council said:
“It’s absolutely tremendous to see such inspirational stories demonstrating the impact that a UK education can have upon individuals and countries around the world. We had hundreds of excellent nominations and it was very difficult to filter it down to the finalists.
These alumni are an outstanding credit to their universities and hopefully will serve as an inspiration to the next generation of ambitious international students.”
Find out more about Ria and her work HERE
