NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM
Annual
National Health Sciences Research Symposium on Mental Health
Mental
health problems, afflicting more than 450 million people worldwide,
are on the rise. The World Health Organization estimates that if the
present global trend continues, depression could become the second
most common disorder causing disability and distress by the year 2020.
These estimates have serious implications for developing countries
such as Pakistan, where health, and especially
mental health, is seriously under-resourced and largely ignored. Full
Story
UNIVERSITY
AKU
Examination Board - the First in Private Sector
High Quality Examination
Board Based on National Curriculum for Secondary and Higher Education
In
view of requests received from several schools in the private sector,
and after careful examination of the nature and effects of the current
examination system in Pakistan, AKU established an examination
board - the first in the private sector, in November 2002.
Full
Story
AKU
Faculty and Staff Circle the Globe in 2003
In 2003, AKU faculty and staff made presentations at numerous conferences,
seminars and workshops internationally as invited guest speakers. Full
Story
AKU
Alumnus Appointed Section Head
Dr.
Azam Ali was appointed Head of Ophthalmology,
Department of Surgery, in September 2003, becoming the first AKU Medical College alumnus to achieve this
position in the University. Full
Story
Appointment
of New Trustee
Princess
Zahra Aga Khan, the eldest of His Highness the Aga Khan's four children,
was appointed to the Board of Trustees in July 2003. After her graduation
from Harvard University with a BA (Honours) degree in Development Studies in 1994, Princess Zahra
joined the Secretariat of His Highness the Aga Khan at Aiglemont in France. Full
Story
International
Vaccine Conference - First of its Kind in Pakistan
Eminent
national and international speakers participated in a three-day
conference on 'Vaccine Production and Utilisation
in Developing Countries: Issues, Prospects and Implications for
Pakistan', hosted by AKU in August
2003. The conference was held in collaboration with COMSTECH (Scientific
Committee of the Organization of Islamic Countries); Pakistan Paediatric Association; the Vaccine Development Task Force,
Pakistan; and AKU. Full
Story
Canadian
Minister Praises AKU's Achievements
The
Honourable Allan Rock, Minister of Industry,
Government of Canada, led an 11-member delegation to AKU in October
2003. He was accompanied by Her Excellency Margaret Huber, High
Commissioner for Canada to Pakistan; Mr. Raymond Simard, Member of Parliament for St. Boniface and other senior
Canadian government delegates. Full
Story
Wellcome
Trust Funds Major AKU Research on High Blood Pressure
The
UK-based Wellcome Trust recently awarded
a US$ 500,000 research grant to AKU for a study on high blood pressure.
The project, entitled 'Population-based strategies for effective
control of high blood pressure in Pakistan', is an investigator-initiated
intervention study designed by Dr. Tazeen
Jafar (MBBS, '90), Assistant Professor,
and her colleagues from the departments of Medicine and Community
Health Sciences at AKU. Full
Story
MEDICAL
COLLEGE
First
Pakistani Dean of Medical College
Professor
Dr. Mohammad Khurshid became the first
Pakistani Dean of the Medical College
in August 2003. Full
Story
UNIVERSITY
HOSPITAL
Obstetrics
and Gynaecology: Impacting Reproductive Health
The
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
at AKU has 13 full-time faculty, two instructors
and four part-time faculty. It aims to address the need for human
resource capacity building by producing graduates who will be life-long
learners.
Full
Story
PATIENT
WELFARE PROGRAMME
Jehangir Gets Hip Replacement Surgery
The
first time 38-year-old Jehangir felt pain
in his legs was when he was loading a crate of office equipment
on his truck in Kuwait City.
He did not take the matter seriously. Full
Story
SCHOOL OF NURSING
Zeenatkhanu Kanji: A Role Model
for Nursing Profession
Zeenatkhanu Kanji has had over 30 years experience in nursing,
studying and working in East Africa, the UK, Canada, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Over 10 of these years
were spent at Aga Khan University School of Nursing (AKU-SON), where
she held senior administrative and teaching positions, contributing
significantly to faculty and curriculum development and research.
Full
Story
Dr.
Rozina Karmaliani Obtains Distinguished Leadership Award from University
of Minnesota
Dr.
Rozina Karmaliani
(BScN, '91), Assistant Professor, Joint Faculty of Health Sciences
(School of Nursing and Community Health Sciences), AKU, and Director,
BScN programme, Aga Khan University
School of Nursing (AKU-SON), was recently awarded the Distinguished
Leadership Award for Internationals by the University of Minnesota.
Full
Story
INSTITUTE
FOR THE STUDY OF MUSLIM CIVILISATIONS
Study
of Muslim Civilisations and AKU-ISMC's Bibliographical
Project
Over
the last fourteen hundred years, histories, cultures and the religion
of Muslim people has been an object of study both by Muslims and
non-Muslims alike. This has led to the creation of an enormous corpus
of literature encompassing a wide range of attitudes, approaches,
languages, regions and disciplines. Along the way, there have been
moments of soul searching within the scholarship with regard to
its trends and directions. Full
Story
Scholars
Discuss Approaches to Pluralism in Muslim Contexts
Recognising pluralism within Muslim societies and respecting
differences should form the bedrock of intellectual and social outlook
among Muslims. This was one of the central conclusions of a seminar
on 'Pluralism in Muslim Contexts', organised
by Aga Khan University Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations
(AKU-ISMC) in Karachi in October, 2003. Full
Story
INSTITUTE
FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Education
Conference Marks AKU-IED's 10th Anniversary
Governments and Organizations
Seek AKU-IED's help in Developing Education
Systems
"We
at AKU must aspire to attain greatness through the creation of knowledge
and that is one of the most important messages that I would like
to leave with you." This was stated by Shamsh
Kassim-Lakha, President of AKU and the Chief Guest at an international
conference on education that marked the 10th anniversary of Aga
Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED)
in August 2003.
Full Story
