Friday 20 June marks World Refugee Day 2025 – a global occasion designated by the United Nations to honour the strength, resilience and courage of people forced to flee their home countries to escape conflict or persecution.
World Refugee Day is not only a day of reflection but a call to action. It shines a spotlight on the rights, needs and aspirations of refugees, helping to mobilise political will and resources so that displaced people can not only survive but also thrive.
At Regent College London (RCL), this day holds special significance. Our Joint CEOs, Professor Selva Pankaj and Dr Tharshiny Pankaj, are refugees themselves.
They arrived in the UK separately as teenagers in 1990, fleeing the civil war in Sri Lanka. When they met in 1996, they bonded over shared values, a passion for education and a deep desire to give back to the country that had welcomed them so warmly.
An entrepreneurial spirit
Despite the challenges of starting anew in a foreign country, Selva built a successful career in finance, qualifying as a chartered accountant and holding senior roles at global institutions including Fortress Investment Group, Schroders, Prudential Financial Inc. and Grosvenor. Tharshiny earned a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science from Brunel University and went on to teach ICT and Computing at a sixth form college.
In 1999, their shared ambition and entrepreneurial spirit led to the founding of Regent Global, marking the start of more than 25 years of educational innovation and excellence.
Through Regent, Selva and Tharshiny have fulfilled their vision of making a meaningful contribution to UK society, transforming lives through education and creating over 1,000 jobs.
Their journey is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through resilience, discipline and hard work. Today, as Joint CEOs of Regent Global, Selva and Tharshiny remain committed to creating a more equitable and prosperous future, both in the UK and around the world.
As we mark World Refugee Day 2025, we reaffirm our mission to support students from diverse backgrounds in rewriting their futures and achieving their ambitions through high-quality, career-focused education.
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