SHAKIRA has followed in the footsteps of stars including MICHAEL JACKSON and JON BON JOVI by addressing students at England’s prestigious Oxford University – using her speech to call for better access to education across the world.

The Hips Don’t Lie hitmaker stood up in front of an audience at the institution’s famed Union on Monday night (07Dec09) to talk about her role as an ambassador for charity UNICEF and her own The Barefoot Foundation, which aims to improve education for impoverished children.

The singer thanked the students for taking the time to listen to her talk, and went on to address the topic of universal access to education.

She said, “I am somewhat mystified as to why you are here because there won’t be any singing, any hip shaking whatsoever.

“I was born in Colombia, growing up in the developing world where education is perceived as a luxury and not as birthright. So how do I go from Barranquilla, Colombia, come to occupy the same stage as Newton, Churchill? Lord knows, I am no Mother Theresa. But here I am nonetheless. My career gives me an enormous opportunity to communicate issues that I believe strongly should be communicated.”

(IANS-WENN)