Malala Yousafzai attends her first Oxford University lecture five years after being shot by Taliban

Nobel Peace Prize winner studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics, or PPE

(PA)

Malala Yousafzai, who as a child narrowly avoided death in 2012 after being shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban for her outspoken campaigning over girls' rights to an education, has attended her first lecture at the University of Oxford.

The 20-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner tweeted a photo of three philosophy books on Monday.

Alongside it she wrote: "Five years ago, I was shot in an attempt to stop me from speaking out for girls' education. Today, I attend my first lectures at Oxford."

Within hours more than 220,000 people had liked the post, which had been retweeted more than 73,000 times. Thousands of well-wishers also responded with messages of congratulations.

Among them was her brother, Khushal Yousafzai, who tweeted in reply: "Sorry for being a headache for the last 5 years. So grateful you are still with us. Ik (I know) you miss me but i am coming to oxford in 2years."

Ms Yousafzai is following in the footsteps of many world leaders in studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics, or PPE.

She did not reveal her grades but earlier this year she told a conference she had received an offer, which was conditional on achieving three As at A-level.

Ms Yousafzai narrowly avoided death in 2012 after being shot in the head by the Pakistani Taliban for her outspoken campaigning over girls' rights to an education.

Her career as an activist began in early 2009, when she started writing a blog for the BBC about her life under Taliban occupation and promoting education for girls in Pakistan's Swat Valley.

But her campaign angered local militants and she was shot during an assassination attempt while taking the bus to school.

She was treated at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital and, fearing reprisals in her native country, made the city her home.

In 2014 she became the youngest person to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and her campaign for children's rights to education across the world has seen her addressing the United Nations on the issue.

Neither Ms Yousafzai nor the university have revealed which college she will attend, but earlier this year, sheshe had attended an interview at Lady Margaret Hall, an Oxford college.

Alan Rusbridger, the former Guardian newspaper editor and now Principal of Lady Margaret Hall, tweeted to “welcome” the Nobel laureate.