Dr Fauzia Khan, Tajdin H. Jaffer Professor and Chairperson, Department of Anaesthesia, delivered a lecture for B.S. Prera Oration on Radiation Safety and Anaesthesia at the Annual Conference of College of Anaesthetists of Sri Lanka in Colombo in January 2006. She was awarded a Gold Medal for the oration. It was the first time an orator was invited from outside Sri Lanka, which is recognition of the quality of the research work presented. The original work that was part of the presentation was conducted in the Department of Anaesthesia, AKU and has recently appeared in the leading International Anaesthesia Journal published from UK.

Dr Thomas Christie, Director, AKU-EB, Narjis Abbas, Senior Officer, SSC Science, and Hina Ashraf, Consultant for AKU -EB, attended the fourth international conference of Association of Commonwealth Examinations and Accreditation Body in Jamaica in March 2006. Dr Christie and Hina Ashraf jointly presented a paper on ‘Parental Expectations of Educational Outcomes’ and Narjis Abbas presented a paper on ‘Assuring Quality in a New ICT Syllabus’. They shared experiences of other participants in conduct of exams in severe weather conditions and with multicultural ethnic background in their own countries. Narjis Abbas and Hina Ashraf visited Caribbean Exam Council on Vocational Education and Training to study their standards criteria and conduct of exam procedures along with portfolio assessment for science practical activities. The sharing and study of other examination and accreditation bodies will be helpful in designating AKU-EB standards and moderation policies.

Dr Yasmin Amarsi, Dean, Aga Khan University School of Nursing was invited as a plenary speaker and panelist to talk on ‘Women and Children in Earthquake Camps – their Vulnerabilities and Risks’ at the International Conference ‘Impact of Global Issues on Women and Children’ held at Dhaka, Bangladesh in February 2006. The conference was jointly organised by the McMaster University, Canada and State University of Bangladesh.

Nasreen Hussain, Associate Professor, Centre of English Language presented a paper on Efficacy of Distance Education in the Professional Development of English Language Teachers: An Overview’ at the TESOL Arabia 2006 Conference held in Dubai, UAE in March. Her paper as singular in that it presented data on the impact distance programmes have on the learners,  specially those who have to balance their professional growth with other family commitments. The findings of the research were appreciated by the audience because the results of the study involving female teachers from South Asia were relevant to Arab teachers with similar cultural values.

Dr Lubna Kamani, Resident, Gastroenterology, was on a study visit at the Gastroenterology Unit of the Russell Hall Hospital Dudley, UK, with Professor Adrian Hamlyn in March this year. Her visit was sponsored by Royal College of Physicians (UK). Dr Kamani is the first from Pakistan to receive this bursary. During this visit, she met renowned GI experts like Dr Roy Pounder and Dr Roger Williams and is now planning to start a new research protocol on probiotics in irritable bowel syndrome. Dr Kamani also observed procedures like capsule endoscopy, double balloon enteroscopy and endoscopic ultrasound, which are not yet available in Pakistan.

Dr Marcia A. Grant, Head Planning, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, spoke on a panel about The worldwide Quest for New Universities, at the annual meeting of the prestigious Association of American Colleges and Universities in Washington, D.C. in January.

Working Group for Women (WGW) celebrated the International Women's Day with global leaders. A panel of WGW members including the chairperson Sabahat Tatari, Assistant Professor, Centre of English Language, represented AKU in ‘Women as Global Leaders conference’ held by Zayed University in Abu Dhabi in March 2006. The conference provided an opportunity for interacting with prominent women leaders, establishing world wide partnerships, sharingexperiences and learning from others. Sessions focused on new ideas in leadership education, with particular attention devoted to cross-cultural perspectives and the empowerment of women. The conference focused on ‘Communities in Transition’, highlighting women's leadership roles within community and social change. Representing over 70 countries, it brought together female leaders, students, faculty and practitioners on common concerns of how women, leadership, and education anchor and transform the communities in which they live.