A statue of Swedish environmental activist Greta Tunberg appeared on the campus of the University of Winchester in the British county of Hampshire. The university spent $33,000 from its own budget to install it, Aftonbladet reported, citing the British media.

Many students have criticized this decision of the university authorities: they believe that such a waste of money at a time of pandemic is unwise. However, the authorities believe they have done the right thing. “Greta is a young girl who has become the world’s foremost eco-activist in spite of her difficulties in life. We hope her statue will help inspire our community by reminding us that we can make a difference in the world,” the university said.

The bronze monument depicts Greta standing upright with her arm outstretched forward – the sculpture’s author, Christine Charlesworth, had implied in her idea that the eco-activist was carrying a message to the world. However, the online community has developed it in its own way – a number of memes have already been circulated around the web, in which anything from a microphone to a “rose from a bottle” is placed in Greta’s outstretched hand.