St Edmund’s College is delighted to congratulate Ilyas Khan, Fellow Commoner, on receiving a Papal Knighthood from Pope Francis.

Ilyas has been recognised for his many years of quiet philanthropy around the world. He served two full terms as the Chairman of Leonard Cheshire Disability (the world’s largest NGO supporting disabled people), and he has recently become the inaugural Chairman of the Stephen Hawking Foundation. Ilyas is also leading the Christian Heritage Centre project at Stonyhurst College, the world’s oldest Jesuit school.

Additionally Ilyas is the founder and CEO of Cambridge Quantum Computers and is the “Leader in Residence”, and a Fellow, of the Cambridge Judge Business School.

The Dean of St Edmund’s College, Alban McCoy, said, ‘Ilyas Khan’s generous contribution to many different good causes, here and abroad, is well-known. His receiving of a papal knighthood is a singular honour, not only for him and his family, but for our College. This is the second such knighthood in recent College history. Professor Stephen F Frowen, KSG, Fellow Commoner, was awarded a Papal Knighthood in 1996.’

Pope Francis created Ilyas Knight of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. The original citation (in Latin) can be downloaded here.