CAMBRIDGE: Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been honored as the 2016 humanitarian of the year by students and faculty at the Harvard Foundation.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate gained international prominence as the General Secretary of the newly formed National League for Democracy in Myanmar in 1990. She became one of the world's most well-known political prisoners during her 15 years of house arrest for participating in anti-government protests. Her country later supported her, and she was appointed to the newly created position of state counselor, which is similar to prime minister.

The 1991 Nobel Peace Prize Committee praised her for her "non-violent struggle for democracy and human rights."

She received the foundation's Peter J Gomes Humanitarian Award during a ceremony Saturday.