AKU graduates hundreds in historic year
Princess Zahra (second left) and Mr Ezekiel Machogu Ombaki, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Education (centre), with university officials and graduands of Executive Masters in Media Leadership and Innovation at the Aga Khan University convocation ceremony in Nairobi, Kenya, on Saturday. Photos | NMG
What you need to know:
- In her remarks at the graduation ceremony on Saturday, Princess Zahra Aga Khan said tertiary education hones skills of citizens and leaders to transform economies, sustain social development and strengthen civil societies.
More than 100 students have graduated from the Aga Khan University (AKU) in Uganda, months after the institution founded by His Highness the Aga Khan celebrated an historic 40th anniversary.
In her remarks at the graduation ceremony on Saturday, Princess Zahra Aga Khan said tertiary education hones skills of citizens and leaders to transform economies, sustain social development and strengthen civil societies.
She noted that higher education is vital in the creation of new knowledge, teaching new ways of thinking and developing critical thinking skills to cause desired change.
Speaking on behalf of AKU’s founder and Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan, Princess Zahra, in comments to the graduates, noted that “you return to a world that is full of daunting challenges but also of endless possibilities”.
“Continue to strive with courage and optimism to grasp opportunities to serve your communities and contribute to a more pluralistic and peaceful world,” she added.
The in-person graduation ceremony was held in Nairobi, with graduands in Kampala assembled at Kampala Serena Hotel, which is also owned by the Aga Khan, following virtually.
The graduates received degrees from the Aga Khan University’s (AKU) School of Nursing and Midwifery and the Institute for Educational Development, joining others who also graduated from different Aga Khan Universities globally the same day.
Left to right: Executive Masters graduands; Nation Media Group’s North Rift Regional Editor-Kenya Caroline Wafula, Lead Editor Digital- Kenya Harry Misiko, Head of Digital Enabling-Uganda Emmanuel Waiswa, General Manager Commercial- Uganda Samuel Barata, Climate and Science Editor- Kenya Zeynab Wandati and Account Manager- Tag Brand Studio Sheila Adam during the Aga Khan University convocation ceremony at the weekend.
The School of Nursing and Midwifery in Uganda conferred its Award of Excellence on Fauza Nabagereka, from the Post-Registered Nurse (Post-RN) Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Eunice Apio and Catheline Orishaba, from the Post-Registered Midwife (Post-RM) Bachelor of Science in Midwifery; and Stella Chekwot, from the Diploma in General Nursing.
The European Union Head of Delegation in Uganda, Amb Jan Sadek, exhorted the graduates to serve as agents of change.
“Today, Uganda is gaining men and women who will serve their fellow citizens as dedicated, ethical and compassionate leaders. This is, therefore, a proud day not only for the graduates, but [also] for their country,” he said.
Princess Zahra named the start of construction, in Kampala last year, of AKU’s new 60-acre campus, which will feature an academic centre, student housing and a new Aga Khan University Hospital.
The 40th anniversary, she noted, was one of the most remarkable for AKU, among others, because the institution welcomed the first cohorts on four new academic programmes, increasing total enrolment to more than 3,600 for the first time in the university’s history.
These are the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery programme in Nairobi, the four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing programmes in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in Karachi.
In Tanzania, 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.
“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,” Princess Zahra said, thanking the Ugandan Government for creating an enabling environment for the university.
AKU President and Vice Chancellor Sulaiman Shahabuddin noted that the University has awarded nearly 20,000 diplomas, degrees and postgraduate certificates to-date.
He outlined planned launch of about a dozen new degree programmes in data science to teacher education; enhancing research capacity in mental health, climate change and other disciplines; and, expanding the AKU health system as key highlights lights envisioned in the university five-year strategic plan.
Other prioirities include deepening the university’s partnerships with public and private institutions at home and abroad and continuing to earn new forms of academic and healthcare accreditation from leading international 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. 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,” he said.
