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Greta Thunberg and Malala Yousafzai met earlier this weekend in the United Kingdom.
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Inspiring Activists Greta Thunberg & Malala Yousafzai Finally Met (& There Are Photos)

by Morgan Brinlee

Pakistani education activist and Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai has met Greta Thunberg, and from the looks of things, it seems the two global advocates became fast friends. Seventeen-year-old Thunberg, who is in the United Kingdom to host a school strike in Bristol later this week, reportedly visited Yousafzai at the University of Oxford, where the 22-year-old activist is currently studying. The two shared photos from their meeting to their respective social media accounts on Tuesday.

"Today I met my role model," Thunberg wrote in posts featuring two photographs of her and Yousafzai that were shared to both her Twitter and Instagram accounts. "What else can I say?"

In her own post on Twitter, Yousafzai noted that Thunberg was "the only friend I'd skip school for."

Although of different ages and from different parts of the world, Thunberg and Yousafzai have both become well known public figures thanks to their activism and advocacy work in climate change and women's education, respectively.

In 2012, then 14-year-old Yousafzai was shot in the head by members of the Taliban for her outspoken support of women and girls' right to an education. Upon her recovery, she has continued to advocate for the education or women and girls around the world.

In 2018, Thunberg sparked a global climate movement when her weekly school strikes outside Swedish Parliament inspired other students around the world to strike or speak out for more effective action on climate change. She's since addressed world leaders and has been nominated twice for the Nobel Peace Prize.

While Thunberg is expected to host one of her signature school strikes in Bristol on Friday, it seems the climate change activist also took time to speak with a handful of students from Oxford's Lady Margaret Hall, according to the constituent college's principal, Alan Rusbridger.

"Honoured to host @gretathunberg at @lmhoxford today and grateful she found time to talk to some of our students about science, voting, the limits of protest, divestment, real zero v. net zero, and much more," Rusbridger wrote on Instagram in a post featuring a photograph of Thunberg with students from Lady Margaret Hall.

Yousafzai has been studying for her Philosophy, Politics and Economics degree at Oxford University since the fall of 2017, according to CNN. It's unclear if her and Thunberg's meeting was planned prior to or after Thunberg agreed to speak with university students.

While both young activists were keen to let the world know they'd met (watch out, world!), neither woman shared anything about what they discussed. Could there be a collaboration in the works?