AKDN Tajikistan representatives visit AKU-ISMC
4 June 2007

The talk was attended by AKU-ISMC faculty, staff and MA students and AKF (UK) Board members and staff.

On the 4th of June, Aga Khan University - Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC) was host to a visit and talk by individuals from the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Tajikistan who were in London on a three week study visit.

The group included senior managers who were completing their MSc at the Bradford Centre for International Development, University of Bradford.  Since 2004, the University has worked with the AKDN to deliver training for managers; the programme comprising of a series of taught courses in Tajikistan and the UK, following which students write their dissertation and are eligible to obtain a MSc in Development Policy and Project Management.

Following an introduction to AKU-ISMC by Professor Modjtaba Sadria, Lecturer Dr Morvaridi gave an overview of the MSc programme at the Bradford Centre for International Development.

Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) Administrative Manager Bakhtiyor Azizmamadov, gave an summary of the work of the respective AKDN agencies in Tajikistan. The AKDN’s work in Tajikistan focuses on three levels of development – economic, social and cultural.  Economic development focuses primarily on energy, agricultural development, microfinance and tourism; social development focuses on education, health and infrastructure development; and cultural development focuses on construction and revival of cultural heritage.

Muhammad Bodurbekov from the Mountain Societies Development Support Programme (MSDSP) gave an introduction to the Programme’s work in Tajikistan.  MSDSP started as a food security programme and has grown to involve the provision of credit and social development.  Bodurbekov explained that the programme is community driven and looks to strengthen the capacity of civil society partners, the private sector and local government.

Dr Khodja Soibnazarov from the Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) spoke about the Health Services’ programmes in the region.  AKHS is heavily involved in community health and acts as an implementation agency that supports government health services.  Soibnazarov explained that AKHS is also involved in health training and support for life long education.

MSDSP Demonstration farm at Safedhok, Tajikistan.

Zuloby Mamadfozilov, Senior Programme Officer of the Education Programme gave a summary of AKF’s work in education in the region.  He said that during the Soviet era, the quality of education and availability of resources was generally high, while after the collapse of the Soviet Union financial support for schools vanished and teachers’ wages fell drastically.  Mamadfozilov explained that AKF is now trying to improve the quality of curriculum, skills of teachers and the ability of schools to raise funds and resources.

Kishwar Abdulalishoev, Academic Officer at the University of Central Asia (UCA), introduced the AKDN’s latest development initiative in Central Asia – a university that focuses on the needs of mountain communities.  Abdulalishoev explained that the purpose of the University is to foster economic and social development and provide for a means for people in these communities to upgrade their education.  Through the development of a University of international standards, the AKDN hopes to be able to improve the employability and income of graduates, as well as provide a valuable skill-base that supports development in high mountain regions.

The talk and discussion was attended by AKU-ISMC MA students and faculty, staff and Board members of AKF including AKF (UK) National Committee Vice Chairman, Yasmin Jetha and other invited guests.

External Links

For more information about the AKDN please click here.

For information about the Bradford Centre for International Development please click here.

All photographs © agencies of AKDN including AKU and AKF.
The photo on the previous page is the Ghunt River, Shugnan, Tajikistan.