Aga Khan University pioneers bold vision for East Africa’s higher education

Dar es Salaam. Aga Khan University (AKU) is spearheading efforts to address the challenges currently confronting higher education institutions.

This vision was articulated by AKU President and Vice Chancellor, Sulaiman Shahabuddin, on March 16, 2023, as he unveiled the university’s ambitious plans for the future, encapsulated in its comprehensive five-year strategic blueprint.

The institution is poised to launch nearly a dozen innovative degree programmes spanning diverse fields such as data science and teacher education, while also bolstering research capabilities in critical areas like mental health and climate change.

Furthermore, AKU aims to expand its healthcare network and foster deeper collaborations with both public and private entities locally and internationally, according to VC Shahabuddin.

AKU also seeks to pursue additional academic and healthcare accreditations from esteemed global organisations.

“That AKU has been able to achieve so much across its four decades is above all thanks to its founder, Chancellor, and chief benefactor, His Highness the Aga Khan,” President Shahabuddin said.

“His Highness’s vision continues to guide us and continually inspire us with the strength to make bold decisions that keep AKU at the forefront of innovation, quality, and impact.”

The anniversary was graced by Princess Zahra Aga Khan, who represented His Highness the Aga Khan in gracing the birthday celebration and detailed some of the many achievements that have made the anniversary year one of the most consequential in its history.

In Tanzania, she said the university launched the Arusha Climate and Environmental Research Centre.

In Nairobi, the Aga Khan University Hospital implemented East Africa’s first integrated electronic health records system, while in Uganda, construction has begun on the university’s new 60-acre campus, which will feature an academic centre, student housing, and a new Aga Khan University Hospital.

Four new academic programmes, she said, welcomed their first students, increasing total enrollment to more than 3,600 for the first time in the university’s history.

These, she mentioned, were the four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing programmes in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programmes in Nairobi, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in Karachi.

“We are hopeful that these new and continuing programmes and facilities will make AKU an increasingly powerful platform for the education of leaders, the creation of relevant knowledge, and the delivery of world-class education and health care,” she said.

On Saturday, February 17, 2024, the universities in Tanzania and Kenya held their 2023 graduations. In Tanzania, 67 students graduated.

The ceremony was graced by the Chancellor of the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Mr Omari Issa.

In his remarks, Mr Issa said Tanzanian universities must grow the supply of skilled healthcare workers and build capacity for research and homegrown innovation to help the country meet the demands of the current burden of diseases and low education quality.

While congratulating the celebrated group on earning their degree from one of the finest institutions of higher learning in East Africa, he said that the focus should also be put on public health and primary care while ensuring that advanced care is available and improves the quality of care across the country to improve livelihoods.

“Changing that situation will require marching gains in access to education with advances to teacher training, classroom instruction, and school leadership while continuing to reduce the population of out-of-school children and improve competition rates,” he said.

Regarding the 2023 cohort, Princess Zahra stated, “On graduating, you return to a world that is full of daunting challenges but also of endless possibilities,” she said in Nairobi, speaking on behalf of AKU’s founder and Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan.

“Continue to strive with courage and optimism to grasp opportunities to serve your communities and contribute to a more pluralistic and peaceful world.”

AKU President, Mr Shahabuddin, called the day a “crowning moment” for the graduates, noting that the university has awarded nearly 20,000 diplomas, degrees, and postgraduate certificates to date.