Speech by Dr. Camer Vellani, Rector, Aga Khan University

Your Excellency, General Pervez Musharraf, Chief Executive of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the honourable Chief Guest;

Your Excellency, Mohamed Mian Soomro, the Governor of Sindh;

Sahabzada Yaqub-Khan, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and members of the Board;

Distinguished Guests; Faculty; Graduating Class of the year 2000; Ladies and Gentlemen:

Assalamo Alaikum

Welcome to the convocation. This ceremony marks the successful graduation of 200 candidates of the following programmes: 89 of the Nursing Diploma and Baccalaureate (58 and 31 respectively); 82 of the Baccalaureate in Medicine and Surgery, and Master of Science in Epidemiology (74 and eight respectively); and 29 of the Master in Teacher Education.

Later this month, 37 Residents and Fellows of the professional development programmes in 13 disciplines of the Medical College, and 42 in the Internship, will receive the University’s Certificates of Graduate Clinical Training. The participants of the Residency and Internship programmes are alumni of most of the medical colleges of Pakistan, including our own. They were selected on merit in an open competition and now move on to serve in a competitive world, where knowledge is growing exponentially and quality of care and ethical professional practice are integral components of societal expectations; the expectations in Pakistan being no different from the rest of the world.

Also, by December this year, the in-service programmes of the Institute for Educational Development would have graduated 26 heads of government and private schools with Advanced Diplomas in School Management; nine primary school teachers with Advanced Diplomas in Subject Specialist Teaching; and 311 with Certificates in Teaching and Educational Management. The Certificate programmes have been conducted variously in Karachi, Gilgit, Nairobi, Dar-es-Salaam, Kampala and Dhaka by the faculty with the assistance of the MEd alumni based in the respective countries. The purpose of the Institute’s programmes is to improve education in schools.

The University is a national and regional resource for development of skilled manpower, appropriate for the needs of developing countries. Conforming to its mission, the University has introduced this year a two-year MSc in Health Policy and Management, which will have the option for further development in administration of health care institutions. In addition, the Master’s programme in Epidemiology has been broadened to include aspects of public health and to realise the emphasis on Biostatistics.

Two developments within the University's international scope are noteworthy. First, during its twentieth anniversary, this year, the School of Nursing will begin its programme on Advanced Nursing Studies in East Africa, created in response to the need for in-service professional development of nurses. To enable operations, the government of Uganda has granted full accreditation to Aga Khan University, while the governments of Kenya and Tanzania have given interim authority for preparatory work, pending completion of procedures for accreditation.

Second, after some five years of thought and study as well as planning by an international task force, the University is ready to establish its Institute of Islamic Civilisations in London, UK. The Institute will have a unique mission. It will strengthen research and education for the purpose of enhancing knowledge of the heritage of Muslim civilisations, in all its historical diversity, in moral reasoning and ethical thought, forms of governance and public life, and also in artistic and creative expression in all forms. The Institute will foster understanding of other cultural and intellectual traditions with which Muslims live and interact. It will not be a school of theology.

Another development, of importance to Pakistan, relates to school education. Several years ago, the Aga Khan Education Service and other private schools were concerned that the public Board examinations emphasised rote learning, which adversely affected education, and requested the University to consider establishing an independent examination system for secondary and higher secondary education. The University studied the feasibility, which revealed the severity of the problem and defined a system that could assess the understanding and application of knowledge, required by the national objectives for school curricula. Rational tests could lead to better education through appropriate guidance and training of teachers.

Learning through thoughtful observation and reasoning is an essential prerequisite for scholarship and should be the essence of development in higher education. This foundation for scholarship should be laid in school education. Sadly, in its place at all levels of education there exists the enduring emphasis on rote learning, the very antithesis of scholarship.

Reasoned inquiry is essential for valid assessment of need and effectiveness of services and, if utilised wisely, for meaningful development and change. For these reasons, research is an integral component of the University’s graduate programmes.

The impact of research is not assessed easily. The starting point is critical observation. The subject of a recent seminar at the University is an example. Road traffic accidents are a major public health problem globally. Research undertaken by the Department of Community Health Sciences showed that in 75 per cent of fatal accidents in Karachi, the victims in the majority being pedestrians, heavy vehicles are involved; which constitute four per cent of registered vehicles. Such seemingly incidental information can point the way to further study and the foundation of relevant policy and intervention. While problems of society need to be understood and effective solutions found, more fundamental questions are also worthy of study although the application of the results may not be obvious.

These principles will guide research in the University’s existing and new units. The new academic units, in addition to the Institute of Islamic Civilisations, include the Programme on Human Development, which will attempt to understand and influence child nurturing practices in order to improve learning, health, behaviour and economic development in poor communities, and the Faculty or College of Arts and Sciences, for which planning is just beginning.

Taking these perspectives into consideration, the University has developed structures and systems for management of research and dissemination of the results. The structures include the University Research Council and its supportive bodies comprising the Grants Review Committee, the Research Office, and committees for ethical review of proposed studies on humans and animals, whether funded from internal or external sources. The Council will have the benefit of the University's International Advisory Committee on Research.

In addition to these operational aspects, the Chancellor has initiated the University-wide endowment for research with a gracious donation of $5 Million. In the first year, 57 proposals for research were submitted for consideration. After careful review, the Grants Review Committee recommended funding for 22 of them for periods up to three years, subject to ethical review, the support amounting to Rs. 21.5 million or $375,000. It is interesting to note that five of the 22 approved proposals had been submitted by students of the MSc (Epidemiology) programme. The University Research Council has considered that applications for grants should become a component of academic development at the graduate level and scrutinised as critically as submissions by the faculty, given the reality of the serious competition for limited research funds.

In support of research, the generosity of Ismaili donors around the world has enabled construction of the Ibn-e-Ridwan building for Community Health Sciences and the Juma Building for laboratories. These developments and the magnificent sports and rehabilitation centre were realised ahead of time and within budget through donations amounting to $12 million.

The graduates assembled here today might well ask, what does the University’s emphasis on research mean for us? You should consider that while your knowledge and skills have been developed for present needs, your foundations should enable further development. You should have the courage to change; but change on the basis of knowledge that is carefully derived and thoughtfully evaluated before it is accepted. In this way you would be enabled to guide your own development and the development of the institutions and societies that not only rely on your knowledge and skills but also expect to benefit from your wisdom.

In closing, I wish to congratulate the graduates for their education and professional skills, acquired through opportunities that are given to a very small proportion of the population. Whatever your motivations may be in the future, remember that the University expects such special expertise to be utilised wisely, not only for yourselves but also for the benefit of society.