Overview

Another important area for Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) is that of Outreach. This is most visible in the Institute's work towards developing a network of Professional Development Centres (PDC) in Pakistan , Central Asia and East Africa . It also includes the establishment of professional associations by AKU-IED graduates.

At the government level, AKU-IED has established a series of collaborations at various levels. It is engaged in a number of dialogues with the government of Pakistan in the formulation of its education policy.

At the provincial level, AKU-IED has been working directly with the government directorates, specially in Sindh and Balochistan, and with the Provincial Institutes of Teacher Education, particularly that of Peshawar, on their capacity building.

With the collaboration of Aga Khan Education Services (AKES), AKU-IED established a PDC in Gilgit (Northern Areas of Pakistan) in 1999, with funding support from the European Commission for five years.

Likewise, AKU-IED has been working actively with AKES, Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and various government departments in the East African countries of Kenya , Tanzania and Uganda to assist them in the creation of a PDCs to meet their needs. The Institute is already running its Certificate in Education programmes in all the three countries.

In Central Asia - Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan - and to a lesser extent in Bangladesh , AKU-IED is exploring either the possible future creation of PDCs, or ways in which it can collaborate with the governments of those countries and AKES to help make a difference in their educational systems.