Chronology of Events

1988

His Highness the Aga Khan establishes a task force to determine how the various existing AKDN teacher education initiatives might be better articulated and more purposefully related to the development of education in Pakistan and other developing countries. The report of the task force recommends the establishment of an Institute for Educational Development dedicated to the improvement of teachers and teacher training, and to the development of educational research.

1990

His Highness approves the task force recommendations. Finally, the Board of Trustees (BOT) of Aga Khan University meets and approves in principle the establishment of Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED).

1991

Formal proposal for the establishment of AKU-IED is finalized and presented to the BOT. The BOT approves it.

• The Board of Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) accepts that AKF should be responsible for mobilizing the entire budget for the start-up period (1992-1998). The Board also agrees to fund the construction of a Professional Development Centre (PDC) in Karachi and bear other necessary costs like working capital etc.
• Members of the task force visit three prospective partner universities (Oxford, Michigan State, Toronto). A joint meeting takes place to review ongoing work on programmatic issues such as course content and faculty profiles.

1993

AKU-IED comes into existence and becomes the first initiative of AKU outside the field of health sciences. The Institute is established in a purpose-built Professional Development Centre in Karachi. During its first phase (1993-2000), AKU-IED gets funding of US$12.6 million (Rs526.7m) by the European Commission (54%), the Canadian International Development Agency (26%), Aga Khan Foundation (11%) and UNDP (9%).

• Partner university agreements are signed with Department of Educational Studies, University of Oxford, and Ontario Institute of Studies in Education, University of Toronto. Academic programmes are developed in collaboration with the partner universities. AKU-IED offers its programmes to its cooperating schools and a number of partner institutions (AKES, NGOs, CBOs and some public educational institutes).
• The Board of Graduate Studies of Aga Khan University approves the MEd programme.
• Dr Kazim Bacchus is appointed the first director of AKU-IED (1993-1996).
• AKU-IED Library becomes operational.

1994

Ms Shehnaz Wazir Ali, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Social Sector, performs formal inauguration of AKU-IED.

• First graduate programme is offered in Master of Education (Teacher Education).
• The Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Sajjad Ali Shah formally inaugurates the Professional Development Centre (PDC), Karachi, during the visit of His Highness to Karachi.
• AKU-IED establishes link with Sheffield-Hallam University.

1995

First professional programme offered - Certificate in Education: Five curriculum areas (formerly known as Visiting Teacher Programme).

• First Master of Education class graduate. Twenty-one students get MEd degrees (8 males and 13 females).
• The 2nd International School Improvement Programme (SIP) Leaders' Conference is held at AKU-IED. Participants from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Pakistan and India attend the meeting.

1996

The First International Conference on "Innovative Approaches to Teacher Education" is held at AKU-IED from April 2 to 4. Participants come from Pakistan, South and South East Asia, Australia, East Africa, Canada and Great Britain.

• A major study funded by NORAD titled "Impact Research Study of NORAD funded Education Project" starts. This is one of the biggest undertakings at AKU-IED. The study is conducted in collaboration with Bristol University, UK, and Oslo College, Norway.
• AKU-IED establishes link with Oslo College, Norway.
• Third Annual SIP Leaders Conference titled "Working with Teachers" is held at AKU-IED.
• A study titled "Health Action Schools in Pakistan - A Pilot Project' funded by Save the Children begins.

1997

Second professional programme offered --- Advanced Diploma in Education: Educational Leadership and Management (formerly known as Advanced Diploma in School Management).

• Third professional programme offered --- Advanced Diploma in Education: Five curriculum areas (formerly known as Advanced Diploma Subject Specialist Teacher Programme).
• First Special Balochistan Visiting Teacher Programme for 30 teachers from rural schools of Northern Balochistan is conducted in Urdu language.
• Dr Robert Baker is appointed the second director of AKU-IED (1997-2000).
• The Mathematics Association of Pakistan (MAP) comes into being under the IAP-AKF partnership to promote interaction and sharing between mathematics teachers to improve the quality of teaching.
• Ms. Bernadette Dean joins the University of Alberta, Canada, to complete the course work for her PhD, under the faculty development programme of AKU-IED.
• A two-day national conference titled "Improving Schools in Pakistan" is conducted from July 28 to August 1, 1997.
• Fourth SIP Leaders Conference is held at AKU-IED. This conference is titled "Re-professionalization for School Improvement".

1998

Fourth professional programme offered --- Certificate in Education: Educational Leadership and Management (formerly known as Certificate in Educational Management).

• Four junior faculties commence PhD studies at the partner universities under the faculty development programme of AKU-IED. Nilofer Halai and Ayesha Bashiruddin commence studies at the Ontario Institute of Studies in Education, University of Toronto, while Anjum Halai and Razia Fakir Mohammad commence studies at the Department of Educational Studies, University of Oxford.
• The Science Association of Pakistan (SAP) is formed. It aims to fulfill its vision "to improve the quality of science education in Pakistan" by providing a facilitative forum for science teachers.
• The School Head Teachers Association for the Development of Education (SHADE) is formed by head teachers who were course participants of the first Advanced Diploma in School Management programme at AKU-IED.
• The Health Action Schools programme initiated. A health action school links health education with school environment and health service.

1999

A PDC is established in Gilgit (Northern Areas of Pakistan) with funding support from the European Union for five years. The construction of the PDC, Northern Areas (PDCN), building is completed in 2000 and is inaugurated in the same year.

• The Association of Social Studies Educators and Teachers (ASSET) is established to provide a forum for social studies teachers so that they could share their experiences and learn from each other to enhance the teaching and learning of social studies.
• Final evaluation of Phase I of AKU-IED is conducted by the European Commission evaluation team. The evaluation is positive with recommendations for Phase II.

2000

A PDC Lead-in Project is established in East Africa. Although a project, it has functioned as a PDC in terms of programme delivery.

• The government of Pakistan and AKU-IED initiate collaboration and dialogue on policy formulation.
• Commencement of Certificate in Education: Educational Leadership and Management programme for the NGOs/CBOs linked with the USAID PNI project titled "Strengthening NGOs/CBOs Capacity Building in Sindh."

2001

The second phase (2001-2006) of AKU-IED begins. The Institute gets funding support from the European Commission, Aga Khan Foundation and Aga Khan University. Phase II aims to make an impact on the massive problems of education faced by developing countries while remaining responsive to experience and change.

• Research and Policy Studies (RAPS) is established to strengthen the Institute's role in educational research and educational policy analysis and advocacy. Dr Iffat Farah, Associate Professor, is appointed Head of RAPS at AKU-IED.
• Open and Distance Learning Unit set up. It offers elective courses for MEd and Cert.Ed programmes in the open learning mode. The unit aims to make learning more accessible to those located in dispersed geographical regions.
• The Association of Primary Teachers (APT) is set up in response to an expressed need to provide a forum where issues specific to teaching and learning of children could be deliberated.
• Primary Education and Child-to-Child Resource Centre is established at AKU-IED. It is purpose-built for the development of primary-level school teachers as well as for imparting health education to schools.
• The Pakistan Association for Inclusive Education (PAIE) is formed to provide a platform for teachers of mainstream and special schools to meet and learn about inclusive education.
• A national conference on "Effective Leadership for Schools" is organized by AKU-IED in collaboration with the British Council, Karachi. · A Donor's Dialogue Day is held at AKU-IED.
• First anniversary of Professional Development Centre, Northern Areas, is held at PDCN.
• Certificate in Education: Educational Leadership and Management Programme for AKES, Bangladesh, begins in collaboration with AKU-IED.
• Prof Stanley Wolpert, a distinguished professor of South Asian history, conducts a seminar on "Contemporary Pakistan: Issues and Challenges" at AKU-IED.
• Dr Gordon MacLeod is appointed the third Director of AKU-IED. Dr MacLeod hails from Australia. He has had substantial experience as a teacher, teacher educator, researcher and leader in educational institutes in Australia and the UK.
• Dr Fauzia Shamim, Associate Professor, is appointed Head of Graduate Programmes at AKU-IED.
• Dr Muhammad Memon, Associate Professor (now Professor), is appointed Head of Professional Programmes at AKU-IED.
  

2002

RAPS, in collaboration with Department for International Development (UK), initiates a series of policy dialogues on key educational issues. RAPS holds dialogues on Teacher Education, Decentralization in Education, and Effective Resource Utilization through Public-Private Partnership in Education.

• AKU-IED formally establishes link with Philips Academy (US) through International Academic Partnership.
• Professional Teachers Association Network established. It consists of six professional associations: Mathematics Association of Pakistan, Science Association of Pakistan, School Head Teachers Association for Development of Education, Association of Primary Teachers, Pakistan Association for Inclusive Education, Association of Social Studies Educators and Teachers.
• AKU-IED hosts First National Seminar of Pakistan Association of the Deaf (PAD), titled "Inclusion/Integration of Children with Hearing Impairment into the Mainstream School".
• A total of 117 teachers successfully complete their school-based Certificate in Education in Maths, Science and English in East Africa, conducted by the PDC East Africa (PDCEA) Lead-in Project.
• Fifteen school heads from Zanzibar complete their Cert.Ed: Educational Leadership and Management through the PDCEA Lead-in Project.
• AKU-IED conducts Certificate in Education: English Programme for Syrian inspectors. The programme aims to help Syrian inspectors in English language to reconceptualize their role as pedagogical leaders and to equip them with relevant teaching strategies.
• Dr Sadrudin Pardhan, Professor, is appointed Director of Outreach Programmes and Activities at AKU-IED. In this new post, he would be coordinating the work of all the PDCs and related activities in Pakistan, East Africa, Central Asia, Bangladesh, Syria, Afghanistan etc.

2003

RAPS holds two other policy dialogues --- Curriculum Reforms and Review, and Quality Assurance.

• AKU-IED completes 10 years of its establishment.
• AKU-IED initiates Certificate in Education courses in open and distance learning (ODL) mode. The first formal course offered in ODL mode is Certificate in Inclusive Education for Children with Special Needs Commences.
• On the occasion of AKU-IED's 10 th Anniversary, the institute holds a three-day international conference entitled 'Impact: Making a Difference on Education'. A total of 32 paper presentations are made by the AKU-IED Faculty, Research Staff and Professional Development Teachers.
• Dr. Muhammad Memon is appointed Head of Programmes.
• Dr. Bernadette Dean is appointed Head of Academic and Student Affairs.
• Dr. Harcharan Pardhan is appointed as Coordinator, Advanced Diploma Programmes.
• Ms. Jane Rarieya is appointed Coordinator, Certificates Programme.
• Dr. Shahzad Mithani is appointed Coordinator, M.Ed Programme.
• Dr. Nelofer Halai is appointed Coordinator, Doctoral Programme.
• An M.Ed. elective 'Introduction to Histories and Cultures of Muslim Societies' is approved by Board of Graduate Studies and is offered to M.Ed. Class of 2005.
• AKU-IED organizes the 9 th School Improvement Programme (SIP) Leader's Conference in Zanzibar .
• The Thardeep Rural Development Programme (TRDP, an NGO in Tharparker) requests AKU-IED through 'Save the Children' to develop 20-25 master trainers through a Certificate in Education (Primary and Health Education) Programme using the Child-to-Child (C-t-C) approach. Thus, a needs assessment is conducted by AKU-IED and a Certificate Programme for master trainers is developed.
• AKU-IED offers a Certificate in Education (Early Childhood Education and Development) for the first time.
• Dr. Kathy Sylva, Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Oxford , Department for Educational Studies (OUDES), visits AKU-IED.