| COVER STORY
Seminar Raises Issues of Teaching English and Need to Formulate Appropriate
Policies
 The
AKU Centre of English Language hosted a two-day seminar in
February
2001, to raise issues and ask questions about the language
policy and planning in Pakistan, highlighting the need for
teaching English and formulating an appropriate policy. The
seminar also
brought to light the overriding issue of the use of information
technology for language teaching in Pakistan. Full
Story
INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Policy Dialogue Influences School Health Promotion
A two-day policy dialogue was held by the Health Action Schools (HAS)
project, based at AKU Institute for Educational Development
(AKU-IED), in January 2001. Co-founders, Dr. Hugh Hawes of
the Child-to-Child movement and Professor Emeritus from the
Institute of Education, London University, and Dr. Tashmin
Kassam-Khamis, Assistant Professor, AKU-IED and the HAS team,
facilitated the programme. Full Story
INTERVIEW
Mir Afzal Tajik - A School Teacher from a Shaky Start to a Successful
Present
 Mir
Afzal Tajik comes from Chitral district of NWFP, the remote
mountainous areas of Pakistan. He joined AKU in 1998. He reminisces
about his bygone days as a student and finally as a teacher,
and shares with us some of the challenges he faced and overcame
during his journey to success. He is presently pursuing his
doctoral studies at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education,
the University of Toronto, Canada.
Full Story
SEMINARS
AKU Seminar: 'Higher Education - Promise and Potential'
World Bank-UNESCO Task Force Urges International Donors to Increase
Support for Higher Education
 AKU
held a seminar in Karachi on February 7, 2001, to create awareness
among senior academics, policy makers and donors in Pakistan
of the contents and conclusions of the Report of the joint
World Bank-UNESCO Task Force on Higher Education in Developing
Countries.
Full Story
MEDICAL COLLEGE
Rising Profile of Neurology
 Neurologists
are physicians who specialize in the care of nervous system
disorders, such as stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease,
nerve and muscle diseases, headaches, backaches, and various
forms of dementia. Long considered an area of medicine where
little could be done for such patients, in recent years, neurology
has seen an explosion in the fundamental understanding of
neurological disease and in the availability of treatment
options. AKU is marching in step with these advances.Full Story
Medical Student Wins First Position in Public Speaking Competition
Full Story
UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL
Nuclear Medicine Services Ready to Take Off
 The
range of specialized clinical services at AKUH continues to
expand, the latest addition being the Nuclear Medicine programme,
which will commence in mid 2001. The field of nuclear medicine
uses radioactive chemicals for medical purposes, for example
in diagnosing decreased blood flow to the heart (myocardial
perfusion scanning), detecting cancer deposits in the body
(technetium bone scanning), or curing certain disorders of
the thyroid gland (radio-iodine treatment). Full Story
Staged Diabetes Management
A New Approach to Diabetes Care Launched
Diabetes is one of the fastest-growing diseases all over the world, including
South Asia. Today, the world is facing a diabetes epidemic
with an estimated 150 million people with Diabetes Type 2
and this number is expected to double. If no intervention
strategies are adopted, the WHO projected estimates for Pakistan
in 2025, would rise to 14.5 million people with diabetes.
Full Story
PATIENT WELFARE
Improving the Quality of Life of Indigent Patients
A Truck Driver
Ahmed, a hardworking, middle-aged truck driver, has one ambition in life:
to educate his two sons, aged eight and twelve. An unlettered
man himself, he was forced to work for a living when barely
out of childhood. Today, he slogs day and night as a truck
driver, earning up to Rs.300
(US$ 5) a day. Full Story
Mother
Nasreen, a 46-year-old housewife, lived a peaceful life
in her small comfortable home, caring for her five children.
Her husband, Khan, works as a senior clerk in the Pakistan
Railways, earning a meagre salary of Rs. 4,500 (US$ 75) a
month. Full Story
 VISITORS
ON CAMPUS
Prince Hassan of Jordan
"Towards an Ethic of Human Civilization"
During his visit to Pakistan, His Royal Highness Prince Hassan bin Talal
addressed the students, faculty and staff of the University
and diplomats on the theme: Towards an Ethic of Human Civilization.
Full Story
AKU a Role Model for University of Central Asia
 During
their recent tour of Pakistan, Mr. Askar Aitmatov (centre),
Advisor to the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, and his delegation
visited AKU. They
discussed with Dr. Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, President of AKU,
the progress of the University of Central Asia, being sponsored
by His Highness the Aga Khan. Full Story
SCHOOL OF NURSING
Dr. Rozina Karmaliani
First PhD Nurse Returns to Her Alma Mater
"I want to see nurses participate in health system development, that
is the focus of my teaching and research,” says Dr. Rozina
Karmaliani, the first PhD alumnus of the AKU School of Nursing
(AKUSON) to return to her Alma Mater. Full Story
University’s First International Academic Initiative
Advanced Nursing Studies Programme Started in East Africa
The Advanced Nursing Studies (ANS) programme officially commenced
in Uganda in January 2001, following receipt of full accreditation
of AKU in that country. With the start of classes, the University
has entered the first phase of its international presence
outside Pakistan.
Full Story
NEW APPOINTMENT
Dr. Philippe Frossard
Heads Department of Biological and Biomedical  Sciences
Dr. Philippe Frossard joined AKU on April 2, 2001, as Professor and Chair
of the newly-established Department of Biological and Biomedical
Sciences. This department has been formed with the merger
of the Basic Science departments of Anatomy, Biochemistry,
Physiology and Pharmacology. Full Story
FACULTY AWARDS
Professor Rabia Hussain
First Pakistani Scientist Receives Third World Academy of
Sciences Award
 Dr.
Rabia Hussain, the Ghulamali Hirji Professor and Chair of
Microbiology at Aga Khan University, recently became the
first Pakistani to receive the prestigious Third World Academy
of Sciences (TWAS) award in Basic Medical Sciences for the
year 2000, for her outstanding research contributions in the
area of immunity to infectious diseases. Full Story
President of Pakistan Honours AKU Faculty with Prestigious Civil Awards
Dr. Amin Suria, Professor of Pharmacology, received the prestigious
civil award, Sitara-e-Imtiaz.
Dr. Muhammad Anwar Waqar, the Akbarali Bandeali Professor and
Chair of Biochemistry, was the recipient of Sitara-e-Imtiaz.
Dr. Anwar Gilani, Professor of Pharmacology, was awarded the Pride
of Performance Award.
Full Story
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