Honesty, compassion, tolerance and commitment to the personal, professional and national cause. Over the years, these guiding principles have come to inspire Dr Muhammad Memon, Head of Programmes at AKU Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED).

After receiving his PhD in Education from University of Surrey in England, Dr Memon pursued specialisation at University of Sussex, also in England, and University of the Philippines, Manila. His areas of expertise include curriculum development and evaluation, staff development, educational planning, monitoring and evaluation, and educational leadership and management.

How do you assess your experience at AKU-IED?

I joined AKU-IED as an assistant professor in 1993 and was the first faculty member to receive the outstanding teacher award for teaching scholarship. My scholarly work at AKU-IED, and publications in national and international journals, resulted in promotion to a full professorial position in 2003. AKU is committed to developing a national faculty for leadership roles in education and over the last four years I have taken a lead role at the Institute, focusing on research and enhancement of knowledge and management skills. I have also developed several courses and programmes in this area both within and outside Pakistan. After serving as Coordinator of Professional Programmes, I eventually became Head of Programmes, dealing with Masters, Advanced Diploma and Certificate-level programmes. The team-learning culture at AKU-IED is both enjoyable and challenging.

What is your vision of education in Pakistan and how is AKU-IED contributing towards its realisation?

The traditional 'quantity approach' to education is concerned with increasing enrolment and achieving good results by meeting examination needs, whereas 'quality education' - as reflected in AKU-IED's mission - deals with the physical, cognitive, intellectual, social and cultural, and moral and ethical development of children. Education should be a nurturing, empowering and caring process aimed at creating a culture of social harmony, equity and social justice in schools and society. Education should not be restricted to reading, writing and reckoning: it should also focus on personal, social, and moral and ethical transformation. I see education as a constructive and re-conceptualisation process through which we unlearn and relearn different kinds of experiences.

AKU-IED's mandate includes the personal and professional transformation of teachers and others who are engaged in teaching learning processes. This mandate is based on four underlying principles: access, equity, quality and effectiveness. The Institute's programmes are embedded in the transformational philosophy of education which is realised through critical pedagogy and a critical reflective process. Teachers, teacher educators and educational managers are being developed as agents of social change. They are being enabled to develop a 'critical mass' in their schools or educational institutions. AKU-IED's programmes have significantly raised awareness of the need to adopt alternative paradigms of education and development to promote creative and critical thinking among teachers and children. Teacher education plays a critical role in transforming education. In Pakistan, however, teacher education is still considered a 'routine' rather than a 'creative' professional activity. There is a need to professionalise teacher education by enhancing the status and quality of teachers and teacher educators.

Who are AKU-IED's national and international partners in teacher education?

AKU-IED is currently operating in 10 countries including Pakistan. Partnerships with Oxford University and University of Toronto have played significant roles in developing our institutional capacity. The Institute has also developed linkages with Sheffield Hallam University, Brock University, Oslo College, University of Alberta and other institutions. Both nationally and internationally, AKU-IED is working with the public and private sectors, especially non-profit organisations and Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) systems, to build their institutional capacity. Over time, the Institute has been able to develop a sustainable rapport with federal, provincial and district level governments, and this has assisted in the development of national policies and plans.

What has been the impact of these programmes?

AKU-IED programmes have contributed substantially towards professionalising teacher education in selected school systems. It has introduced innovative ideas such as teachers as reflective practitioners, action researchers, social change agents and pedagogical leaders. Initiatives such as the Whole School Improvement Programme in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and Field-Based Teacher Education have significantly impacted the quality of education in Pakistan as well as other countries. AKU-IED also introduced a new concept of professionalising teacher education by assigning the title of Professional Development Teachers (PDTs) to Masters graduates who work with teachers to provide professional support at the school level.

How is AKU-IED planning to further professionalise teacher education?

AKU-IED is already engaged in Professional Development Centre (PDC) type activities in East Africa which lead to a Certificate in Education in curriculum development and educational leadership and management. Taught by AKU-IED Masters graduates, these programmes substantially enhance teachers' sense of efficacy and professionalism. During and after professional development programmes, teachers share, discuss, reflect and critically analyse the challenges they face. This practice has led to the development of a community of reflective practitioners who work together to collectively solve problems.

In Afghanistan, AKU-IED is assisting the Ministry of Education in developing the education system by professionalising teachers and teacher educators. The Government of Syria has also requested the Institute's support in establishing PDC-type institutions. The objective of such innovative initiatives is to internationalise AKU-IED's approach to school improvement.