The Emilia Pardo Bazán Prize was established by the Department of Spanish and Latin American Studies and the Embassy of Spain in Malta in the year 2021. It is awarded by the Embassy and the Department every year to the student whose undergraduate dissertation achieves the highest mark in their cohort. The prize recognises the brilliance and the dedication of our students, whilst it encourages research study in the subject area of Spanish Studies.
The prize also marks the memory of Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851-1921) on the centennial of her passing. Pardo Bazán's literary and scholarly works are amongst the most accomplished in Spanish history. She was a committed defender of the rights of women and led the way in the fight for gender equality - in 1905 she was the first woman to become a member of the Ateneo de Madrid, in 1910 the first to be inaugurated 'Consejera' of a Spanish government, and in 1916 the first to hold a university chair in Spain. In her essay La mujer española, she described herself as 'feminista a fuer de moderna'. Today, she continues to be an inspiration to young men and women, and a role model for students of Spanish culture and history.