In memory of Malika Aly-Khan
Fiona Hill (MA 1989) is a leading foreign affairs advisor, academic and author, and has served as Chancellor of Durham University since 2023. She received an honorary degree from the University of St Andrews in 2022. Fiona explains why she was inspired to fund five Wardlaw Scholarships in memory of her friend Malika Aly-Khan, who sadly passed away during her first year at St Andrews in 1985.
I came to St Andrews from Bishop Barrington Comprehensive School in Bishop Auckland, County Durham in 1984 as the first in my family to go to university. This was the height of the Cold War and the UK Coal Miners’ strike, both of which formed the backdrop for my studies in Russian and Modern History.
My father was a former coal miner who had left school at 14. He was determined that I should pursue every educational opportunity that I could get, given his own experience and County Durham’s catastrophic economic decline in the 1980s. I relate to this in my 2021 book There is Nothing For You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century.
St Andrews: a magical place
I fell in love with St Andrews on a visit to the town with my mother and sister. Every single day I was there as a student, I felt privileged to live and study in such a magical place.
St Andrews – the town – was a highlight for me. I spent an enormous amount of time walking with friends along the beaches, the cliff paths, the ruins and the back streets; as well as in the University Library – which was another important place for exploration and discovery. My hometown’s library was pretty limited and my school’s virtually non-existent. I couldn’t believe the educational resources the University offered, including the opportunity to develop close relations with inspiring professors through the tutorial system. I am still in close touch with former Professor of History at St Andrews Geoffrey Parker, who hosted me at Ohio State University for a series of lectures in December 2022.
A career in foreign affairs
Since graduating in 1989 I have tried to apply every element of my St. Andrews education and the opportunities it gave me. One notable and serendipitous highlight is my current role on the UK’s Strategic Defence Review, which has brought me together again with Lord George Robertson. In addition to being former UK Defence Minister and Secretary General of NATO, Lord Robertson offered his services as a career advisor for St Andrews students in the 1980s. He advised me to continue to study Russian and seek out opportunities to study in the Soviet Union and broaden my horizons. I followed his advice!
Friends and memories
St Andrews gave me deep, lifelong friendships in addition to a rich academic and professional network. One particular friend remains firmly in my memory.
I met Malika Aly-Khan the moment I moved into University Hall – the first hour of my first day at St Andrews. We had adjoining doors and became instant friends. She radiated personality, kindness and wisdom – the very definition of an ‘old soul’.
Malika made a deep, indelible impression on everyone who met her. We were inseparable in those first few weeks: going to all the orientation meetings together with a small group of other girls who lived around us, ending up with the same set of academic parents and the same expanding group of friends. She was my first anchor and beacon at St Andrews. I thought I would know her forever.
Malika Aly-Khan: 1965-1985
Sadly, Malika passed away in 1985 before having the chance to complete her first year. She was studying biochemistry and in her short time at St Andrews she had such a significant impact on those she met. She spoke of wanting to become a doctor to help people suffering from poverty and chronic illness.
At the very beginning of her journey, she was concerned about students, like herself, not having the financial aid to complete their studies. The Wardlaw Scholarships offer the kind of support that Malika would have been so grateful for 40 years ago as she worried about her own ability to see her plans through to fruition.
Her loss was a cruel blow to her family and friends. Her younger sister Aisha notes that: ‘Malika was often seen as quiet, but that quietness belied a strong, intelligent and caring soul. She was funny, articulate and would always have a smile on her face. She had a beautiful soul and was a gifted young woman, who saw the possibilities in the world around her and wanted to bring more goodness and equality to it.’
Aisha remembers Malika in the family’s study at home, surrounded by books and drinking mint or rosehip tea which she made from the garden.
I, too, remember Malika’s smile, as – I am sure – do others who knew her at St Andrews. I remember the beret she usually wore (black while at St Andrews, red while at home), and the ubiquitous cup of homemade tea.
The Malika Aly-Khan Wardlaw Scholarships
I recently decided to fund five Wardlaw Scholarships at the University of St Andrews – the Malika Aly-Khan Wardlaw Scholarships. I hope they will help other St Andrews students to find their own paths and think of Malika along their way. She was a very special person – a bright guiding light at the beginning of my St Andrews journey.
I hope that others will consider making similar donations for current students to honour and remember the people and places they have loved at St Andrews.