Shah Rukh Khan will be awarded La Trobe University’s highest accolade during his visit to Australia for the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM). La Trobe is the first Australian University to award Khan with an Honorary Doctor of Letters (honoris causa), in recognition of his efforts to support underprivileged children, his push for women’s empowerment through MEER Foundation and his achievements in the Indian film industry.

La Trobe University Vice-Chancellor, Professor John Dewar, said Mr Khan’s philanthropic leadership closely aligns with the University’s values. “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. In the past eight years, we have been proud to host India's iconic film stars including Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan and Rajkumar Hirani with the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne at La Trobe”. 

Mr Khan said having his humanitarian endeavours recognised for the first time in Australia was a great honour. “I’m proud to be conferred with a great University like La Trobe which has a long-standing relationship with Indian culture and impressive track record in advocating for women’s equality. 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.”

Festival Director of the IFFM, Mitu Bhowmick, said the festival is lucky to have La Trobe as a partner, “The University shares our festival’s core values of inclusion, diversity and cultural growth. To be a part of this magnificent celebration of Mr Shah Rukh Khan’s amazing work, with La Trobe, is a matter of great joy and pride for the festival.”

La Trobe will present Mr Khan with his Honorary Doctorate ‪on Friday 9 August‬ at its Melbourne campus in Bundoora.