We were delighted to welcome Sussex alumna, Marina Mahathir, to the University of Sussex Campus on 8 November 2023.

Marina is a Malaysian-based prominent activist and AIDS advocacy worker and is a fearless voice for women’s rights, gender equality, religious freedom and justice.

She led an HIV/AIDS NGO for 12 years, served on the board of Sisters in Islam (which advocates for justice and equality for Muslim women) for six years, and currently chairs the board of Musawah, the global movement for justice and equality in the Muslim family. Marina has also produced TV programmes, feature films, and a documentary. In November 2021, Penguin Random House SEAsia published her memoir The Apple and the Tree, which explores her relationship with prominent Malaysian politician, Mahathir Mohamad.

Marina obtained her BA in International Relations at the University of Sussex in 1979 and was awarded an Honorary Degree by the university in 2018. She also graduated with a Masters in Biography and Creative NonFiction in 2022, from the University of East Anglia.