Aga Khan University is a non-profit institution and an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network. It was Founded in 1983 as Pakistan's first private university. Starting in 2000, the university expanded to

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

and

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. AKU began life as a health-sciences university. It is among the largest private health-care providers in Pakistan and East Africa. AKU hospitals were the first in those regions accredited by U.S.-based Joint Commission International. More recently, the university has initiated programmes in teacher education, the study of Muslim civilisations, journalism, early childhood development and public policy. In the near future, the university plans to launch an undergraduate liberal-arts programme to educate future leaders in a wide range of fields and establish additional graduate professional schools.

History

Founded in 1983 by the Prince Aga Khan IV, AKU is one of the Aga Khan Development Network agencies. * 1964: The Chancellor announces plans to construct Aga Khan Hospital and Medical College * 1980: The contract for the main complex of Aga Khan University Hospital and Medial College was signed in London * 1983: Former President of Pakistan presented the Charter of the university to the Chancellor, making it the first private international university in Pakistan; the first class of the university's School of Nursing graduates * 1985: Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi inaugurated * 1989: The university's medical college's first batch graduates * 1994: The Institute for Educational Development, Karachi inaugurated * 2001: The Advanced Nursing Studies Programme launched in Uganda * 2002: The Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations established in London * 2005: Aga Khan Hospital, Nairobi upgraded to Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi * 2006: Inaugurated the Institute for Educational Development in East Africa, and the French Medical Institute for Children, managed by AKU, in Kabul * 2007: The Examination Board conducts its first Secondary School Certificate examinations * 2012: Founded Graduate School of Media and Communications, Institute for Human Development, and East Africa Institute *2021: Aga Khan University, Kenya granted charter by President

Uhuru Kenyatta Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta (born 26 October 1961) is a Kenyan politician who served as the fourth president of Kenya from 2013 to 2022. Kenyatta was chosen by Daniel Arap Moi as his preferred successor, but Kenyatta was defeated by opposition le ...

. *2022: Aga Khan University launches the Faculty of Arts and Sciences on the Stadium Road Campus, Karachi, Pakistan. Th
Inaugural Dean
was appointed in September 2022.

Academics

The Aga Khan University accounts for 75% of all biomedical research in

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...

while the remaining 25 percent is shared by all the other institutions. AKU publishes more research articles in peer-reviewed, indexed internationally recognised journals than any other university in Pakistan. Faculty promotions are dependent on publications in indexed journals while most medical students have published by the time they graduate. Undergraduate medical students have published up to 50 research papers in indexed health journals. It is the one of the few universities in Pakistan to provide research facilities to students at the undergraduate level. The university maintains a research office to guide and support research conducted at the university. A University Research Council also funds grants after a competitive review process facilitated by a Grants Review Committee. Particular emphasis is also placed on community related health sciences research. AKU organizes international and national research workshops and seminars. A Health Sciences Research Assembly is held annually in which faculty and students present their research. The university is a site for NIH

clinical trial Clinical trials are prospective biomedical or behavioral research studies on human participants designed to answer specific questions about biomedical or behavioral interventions, including new treatments (such as novel vaccines, drugs, dietar ...

s. The seal (logo) of the Aga Khan University is a visual representation of the principles which underlie the founding of the university. The circular form of the seal has its roots in the rosettes of early Islamic periods. It also symbolizes the

world In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

and reflects the internationality of the Aga Khan University. At the centre of the seal is a

star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by its gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked ...

or sun representing

light Light or visible light is electromagnetic radiation that can be perceived by the human eye. Visible light is usually defined as having wavelengths in the range of 400–700 nanometres (nm), corresponding to frequencies of 750–420 tera ...

– a universal symbol of the enlightenment that

education Education is a purposeful activity directed at achieving certain aims, such as transmitting knowledge or fostering skills and character traits. These aims may include the development of understanding, rationality, kindness, and honesty. Va ...

provides. The light is also symbolic of Nur (divine light). The star incorporates 49 points to commemorate the university's founding by

Prince Karim Aga Khan Shāh Karim al-Husayni (born 13 December 1936), known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Ismaili followers and elsewhere as Aga Khan IV, is the 49th and current Imam of Nizari Ismailis, a denomination within Shia Islam. He h ...

, the Forty-Ninth

imam Imam (; ar, إمام '; plural: ') is an Islamic leadership position. For Sunni Muslims, Imam is most commonly used as the title of a worship leader of a mosque. In this context, imams may lead Islamic worship services, lead prayers, ser ...

of the Ismaili Muslims. The outer ring circumscribes a

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...

ic Ayat (3:103) rendered in classic

thuluth script ''Thuluth'' ( ar, ثُلُث, ' or ar, خَطُّ الثُّلُثِ, '; fa, ثلث, ''Sols''; Turkish: ''Sülüs'', from ' "one-third") is a script variety of Islamic calligraphy. The straight angular forms of Kufic were replaced in the new sc ...

Campuses

The Aga Khan University is an international university, operating on campuses in

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

, the African Great Lakes, Europe and the Middle East. In Pakistan, the university is an 84-acre campus including a hospital with two on-campus male and female hostels with a capacity of 300 each. It has a sports and rehabilitation center which is one of the best in Pakistan, with an Olympic-standard swimming pool, cricket practice nets, tennis courts, indoor gymnasium with wooden flooring, squash courts and gyms. It has cricket and football grounds with jogging tracks. Existing campuses and international programmes include: *Faculty of Health Sciences located on an campus in the heart of

Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former cap ...

, built in the 1980s *Aga Khan University Health Sciences campus in Nairobi, Kenya
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
housed in the University Centre on the Stadium Road Campus in Karachi, Pakistan. The Faculty of Arts and Sciences offers undergraduate majors in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Social and Development Studies, Human and Environmental Biology, and Politics Philosophy and Economics. *Institute for Educational Development in the Karimabad area of

an
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
*Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations in London, United Kingdom * A USD 450 million campus planned for Arusha, in north-eastern Tanzania to be built in the next 15 years *Advanced Nursing Studies (ANS) Programmes at campuses in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

and

*Programmes for capacity development for teachers and nurses in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

and

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

Institutes and Graduate Schools

The university is home to several teaching and research Institutes on its different campuses. The Institutes each drive one of the thematic priorities of AKU and AKDN. In London, th
Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations
is a dedicated interdisciplinary research and graduate school that brings together humanities scholars and social scientists to critically engage with cultural, historical, political, economic, legal and religious aspects of Muslim societies. In Pakistan and East Africa, AKU has two Institutes that focus on education: th
Institute for Educational Development Pakistan
an
Institute for Educational Development East Africa

Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations

The Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC) was founded in 2002 and accepted its first intake of graduate students in 2006. The AKU-ISMC offers an MA in Muslim Cultures. The MA is accredited by the Higher Education Commission (Pakistan) of Pakistan and regulated by the Quality Assurance Agency in the UK. Since 2018, AKU-ISMC has been based in th
Aga Khan Centre
in the King's Cross area of London. The Aga Khan Centre was designed by the architect Fumihiko Maki. In 2020, AKU signed a partnership with Columbia University launching a dual masters in September 2020.

Institute for Educational Development - Pakistan and East Africa

The Institute for Educational Development in Karachi and East Africa (AKU-IED) is a center for developing teachers, educators, education managers, researchers and policy makers. Apart from teacher training, AKU-IED offers MEd (

Masters of Education The Master of Education (MEd or M.Ed. or Ed.M.; Latin ''Magister Educationis'' or ''Educationis Magister'') is a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. This degree in education often includes the following majors: curriculum a ...

) and

PhD PHD or PhD may refer to: * Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification Entertainment * '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series * ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic * Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group ** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...

. in Education as well. Established in 2003. AKU-EB is a federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary education in Pakistan. AKU-EB examines students at SSC and

HSSC The Higher Secondary School Certificate is a secondary qualification in Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Higher Secondary Education The Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education in Bangladesh recognises "Higher Secondary Education" und ...

level.

Graduate School of Media and Communications

Launched in 2015, the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC) is focused on education and tailored training for journalists, communicators and media executives and entrepreneurs in East Africa and beyond. On 7 December 2019, GSMC announced a partnership with

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

to launch the Video Journalism Fellowship.

Notable alumni, professors and staff

Professors and staff

Abdul Gaffar Billoo Abdul Ghaffar Billoo ( ur, عبد الغفار بلّو born 14 January 1937) is a Pakistani philanthropist who founded HANDS International a Nonprofit organisation in Pakistan which has been working since 1975. As a paediatric endocrinologist ...

pediatric endocrinologist Pediatric endocrinology (British: Paediatric) is a medical subspecialty dealing with disorders of the endocrine glands, such as variations of physical growth and sexual development in childhood, diabetes and many more. By age, pediatric endocrinol ...

, professor of clinical pediatrics at the Aga Khan University (AKU)Profile of Aga Khan University – Karachi
Retrieved 11 August 2017 *

John Harland Bryant John "Jack" Harland Bryant (March 8, 1925 – July 5, 2017) was an American physician. Early life and education He attended 32 schools before entering high school. During World War II he served as a pilot in the Navy. Following the war he p ...

, former Professor of Community Health Sciences * Zulfiqar Bhutta, Director of the Institute for Global Health and Development *

Sahabzada Yaqub Khan Lieutenant General Sahabzada Yaqub Ali Khan ( ; born 23 December 1920 – 26 January 2016) was a Pakistani politician, diplomat, military figure, pacifist, linguist, and a retired general in the Pakistani Army. Born into an Indian nobility ...

, former foreign minister of

Marleen Temmerman Marleen Temmerman (born 24 March 1953 in Lokeren, Belgium) is a Belgian gynaecologist, professor and former Senator, currently heading the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya. Biography T ...

, Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aga Khan University

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

Leif Stenberg Leif Stenberg has been the Dean of the Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations at the Aga Khan University (International) in London since April 2017. Media Appearances Stenberg provided commentary during the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad car ...

, Professor of Islamic Studies and Dean of the

Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations Aga Khan University is a non-profit institution and an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network. It was Founded in 1983 as Pakistan's first private university. Starting in 2000, the university expanded to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, the United Ki ...

(UK)

Notable alumni

Adil Haider Adil Haider is a Pakistani–American trauma surgeon, public health researcher and the Dean of medical college at the Aga Khan University. He is also the co-founder of Doctella, an online application to enhance doctor-patient communication. Hai ...

trauma surgeon Trauma surgery is a surgical specialty that utilizes both operative and non-operative management to treat traumatic injuries, typically in an acute setting. Trauma surgeons generally complete residency training in general surgery and often fel ...

and

outcomes research Outcomes research is a branch of public health research which studies the end results ( outcomes) of the structure and processes of the health care system on the health and well-being of patients and populations. According to one medical outcomes an ...

scientist in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Fahim Rahim Fahim Rahim (born December 14, 1973) is an American Nephrologist and chairman of Idaho based JRM foundation For humanity and Co-founder of Idaho Kidney Institute. He received the Ellis Island Medals of Honor for his contribution to achievements in ...

, nephrologist, recipient of

Ellis Island Medals of Honor The Ellis Island Medal of Honor is an American award founded by the Ellis Island Honors Society (EIHS) (formerly known as the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO)), which is presented annually to American citizens, both native-born a ...

in 2011 *

Naeem Rahim Naeem Rahim (born January 1, 1976) is an American nephrologist and founder of Idaho based JRM foundation For humanity & Co-founder of Idaho Kidney Institute. He was one of the First List of people from Idaho, Idahoans to receive the Ellis Island M ...

, nephrologist and founder of

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

based JRM Foundation for humanity

Awards and Accolades

*Centre for Innovation in Medical Education is South Asia's first to be accredited by US-based Society for Simulation in Healthcare. *Village Land Use Plan awarded the Society for College and University Planning's Merit Award for Excellence in Planning for a District or Campus Component. *Medical College (Pakistan) Urban Health Programme awarded MacJannet Prize for Global Citizenship 2009. *Zairi International Award in Higher Education 2022, Award of Excellence for Disruptive Education.

References

External links

Aga Khan UniversityAga Khan University Alumni AssociationVideo: AKU President Firoz Rasul speaks on next 25 years of the Aga Khan University
{{Coord, 24.8928, 67.0747, type:edu_source:enwiki-googlemaplink, display=title Educational institutions established in 1983 Private universities and colleges in Sindh Medical colleges in Sindh Universities and colleges in London Private universities and colleges in Kenya Private universities in Tanzania 1983 establishments in Pakistan

History

Academics

Campuses

Institutes and Graduate Schools

Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations

Institute for Educational Development - Pakistan and East Africa

Graduate School of Media and Communications

Notable alumni, professors and staff

Professors and staff

Notable alumni

Awards and Accolades

See also

References

External links