​Honors and Awards

Numerous faculty, staff, alumni and trustees have earned honours, awards and prestigious appointments in recent months from institutions such as the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, the University of Alberta, the American Academy of Neurology, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education International, the Media Council of Kenya and the College of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan. 

January 2026 – March 2026

Dean Lukoye Atwoli a graduate of the Institute for Educational Development, Pakistan, was appointed Interim Education Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan.​

Dean of the Institute for Educational Development, Pakistan Farid Panjwani  was appointed to the National Curriculum Advisory Committee by the Federal Ministry of Education..​

Hoor Naz Bibi and Saher Begum , both alumni of the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan, were promoted to Deputy Nursing Superintendent (Grade 19) by the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan.​

Dean of the Institute for Educational Development, Pakistan Professor Zahra Hasan  was elected a Fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, one of the highest academic honours in the country.​

Chief Data Innovation Officer Farhana Alarakhiya  received a Changemaker in Health Award from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

Dr Adnan Ali Hyder  (MBBS ’90), Dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, was profiled in The Lancet.

Interim Chair of Family Medicine Nancy Matillya  was named one of seven recipients of the 2026 Montegut Global Scholar Award by the World Organization of National Colleges, Academies, and Academic Associations of Family Physicians.

Professor Tazeen Saeed Ali  received the Sitara-e-Pakistan Award from Patient Protection society in of her exceptional service, leadership, and contributions to nursing education and healthcare.

Dr Fazal Hameed Khan   received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pakistan Association of Cardiothoracic Anaesthesiologists.

Assistant Professor Saleema Begum   was appointed an International Surgical Ambassador by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Dr Zubaida Sirgan  received a first-place regional award from Women Changing the World.

Assistant Professor Miriam Mutebi  was named one of the 100 most influential people in oncology by OncoDaily.

Dr Maryum Azher , a fellow in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, was awarded a prestigious Donald J. Cohen Fellowship from the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions.

Naurin Farhan  (RN ’09) received the Women Impact Award 2025 from the State Bank of Pakistan for her work to improve community health as a nurse entrepreneur.

University of Regina Professor Shela Hirani , a SONAM alumna, received the SHRF Impact Award from the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation for her outstanding leadership in nursing.

August 2025 – November 2025

Bakari Machumu, an alumnus of the Graduate School of Media and Communications, was appointed Director of Presidential Communications in President Samia Suluhu Hassan's administration. ​

Dean Lukoye Atwoli was named the World Health Summit International President 2026. In addition, he was named an International Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. ​

Dean Karim Damji received the 2026 American Glaucoma Society Humanitarian Award. 

Regional CEO of the Aga Khan Health Services, East Africa Dr Zeenat Sulaiman Khan, an alumna of School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan, was re-elected to the Governing Council of the International Hospital Federation. 

Senior Instructor Duriya Rehmani is set to receive a gold medal from The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in recognition of her top performance on part three of the College's membership exam. She is the first Pakistani to receive the medal.

Professor Muhammad Rizwan Khan was named a member of the College Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. He is the first surgeon from Pakistan to be elected to the position. 

Dr Naveed Yousuf, CEO of the Aga Khan University Examination Board, was appointed Vice President of the International Association for Educational Assessment. He also received the MH Qazi Award for Innovation in Health Professions Education from the University of Lahore. ​

Chief Data Innovation Officer Farhana Alarakhiya was selected as a 2026 Changemaker Finalist for the Global Patient Innovator Award by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society.

Professor Sayed Karar Ali received the Physician Educator Award from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education International. 

Waqar Asghar, Assistant Manager in the Pediatrics Residency Programme, received the Staff Award from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education International. 

Assistant Professor Shahzadi Resham received the Spirit of Planetree Award from Planetree International for her humane and empathetic care. 

Assistant Professor Mariam Noorani received the Best Female Senior Investigator Award at the Tanzania Health Summit. Dr Joshua Ngimba, an internal medicine resident, received the Best Junior Male Investigator Award. 

Senior Manager Adnan Altaf from the Research Office and Manager Navroz Ali from the Grants and Contracts section of the Finance Division were named Future of the Field Honorees by the Society of Research Administrators International. 

 

April 2025 – July 2025 

Pro-Chancellor Princess Zahra Aga Khan received an honorary doctorate from Concordia University for her contributions to improving the quality of life of vulnerable communities around the world. 

Dr Mola Dad Shafa, an AKU alumnus and Associate Professor, received one of Pakistan's highest civil awards, the Sitara-e-Imtiaz, for his transformative contributions to education and human development as Head of AKU's Professional Development Centre, North in Gilgit-Baltistan. 

Dr Mansour Memon (MBBS '92) received one of Pakistan's highest civil awards, the

Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, for his long-standing contributions to the country. 

Associate Professor Sanaa Alimia received the American Institute of Pakistan Studies' 2025 Book Prize for Refugee Cities: How Afghans Changed Urban Pakistan, published by the University of Pennsylvania Press. 

Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta was awarded the prestigious Nils Rosén von Rosenstein Medal, the Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Pediatric Association (IPA) and the Virchow Prize​. 

Vice Provost Anjum Halai​ was named to an eight-member search committee charged with shortlisting candidates for the position of Chairman of Pakistan's Higher Education Commission.​ 

Dr Adnan Hyder (MBBS '90) was named Dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, which is currently ranked #7 in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. 

Three AKU alumni were honored with AKU's Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award​. The award was given to Aniqa Bano (MEd '11), for her work with the hearing impaired in Gilgit-Baltistan; Dr Sara Saeed Khurram (MSc HPM '18), CEO of the digital health platform Sehat Kahani; and Dean Salimah Walani (DipN '87, DipM '88), for her leadership in global maternal and child health.

AKU alumni Shela Hirani (BScN '03, MScN '10) and Neelam Punjani (BScN '10, MScN '14) received the King Charles III Coronation Medal, which celebrates Canadians who have positively impacted their communities, Canada and the world. 

Alumna Shaista M​eghani​ (DipN '04, BScN '10, MScN '14) received the Jannetta MacPhail Award from the University of Alberta's School of Nursing. The award recognizes doctoral students for superior academic and scholarly achievement. 

Assistant Professor Naveed ur Rehman Siddiqui was elected to the Board of Directors of the International Pediatric Simulation Society during its annual meeting in Munich. 

AKU Examination Borad CEO Naveed Yousuf was elected a member of the Board of Trustees of the International Association for Educational Assessment. 

Dr Junaid Razzak​, Director of the AKU Centre of Excellence for Trauma and Emergencies, received the Public Health Leadership Award from the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.  

Sindh Minister of Health and Population Welfare Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho and Dr Gijs Walraven, Director for Health at the Aga Khan Development Network and General Manager of the Aga Khan Health Services, were awarded AKU's Lifetime Achievement Award. 

Associate Professor Sidra Nousheen and Professor Lumaan Sheikh were named finalists for the Maternal and Child Health Team of the Year at the BMJ South Asia Awards​.​

Melaine D'Cruze​, Director of the Research Office (Pakistan), received the National Council of University Research Administrators' Emerging Excellence in Research Administration Award. This award honours emerging leaders who are making a real difference in research administration.

November 2024 - March 2025​​

President Sulaiman Shahabuddin was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari on Pakistan Day in recognition of his significant contributions to the country's education and health sectors. 

Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the country's highest honours, in recognition of his achievements as “one of the world's foremost authorities on maternal and child health." Both Dr Bhutta and Assistant Professor Jai Das were named to Clarivate's list of highly cited researchers. Only 1 in every 1,000 scientists and social scientists worldwide is named to the list.

Dean Lukoye Atwoli ​was honoured as the top-ranked researcher in medicine in Kenya, based on the number of his publications, by the Kenya Education Network Trust, which utilized data from SciVal.  

Professor Fyezah Jehan was named a Distinguished International Fellow of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene. The designation “recognizes individuals who have made eminent contributions to a particular aspect of tropical medicine and global health." She is one of only two recipients from Pakistan to have received the award since 1963. The other is AKU Professor Zulfiqar Bhutta. 

Professor Emeritus Yasmin Amarsi is the subject of a new book​, Game Changer: The Story of Yasmin Amarsi and the Profession of Nursing in Pakistan.

Dean Adil Haider was named to the Board of Directors of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, a Washington, DC-based organization that brings together more than 190 academic and other institutions from around the world. 

Professor Sarah Saleem​ was appointed to the International Advisory Board of The Lancet Global Health, perhaps the world's leading global health journal. 

Professor Hussein Kidanto​ was awarded an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University in Sweden, which called him “a pioneer in his focus on improving care for vulnerable women and newborns."  

AKU Examination Board CEO Naveed Yousuf was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the International Association for Educational Assessment. 

Professor Shehnaz Ibrahim received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Child Neurology Society of Pakistan at the 16th Pediatric Neurology Conference in Peshawar. 

Assistant Professor Riaz Hussain, the Head of the Institute for Educational Development’s Professional Development Centre in Chitral, received an award from the District Education Office for Lower Chitral “for his valuable services in promoting quality education.”​

Melaine D'Cruze​, Director of the Research Office (Pakistan), received the Future of the Field award from the Society of Research Administrators International. The award “aims to highlight the 'up-and-comers' of research administration." Of the two dozen recipients, she was the only one from a lower-income country. 

July - October 2024​

President Asif Ali Zardari announced that President Shahabuddin will receive the Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Pakistan’s third-highest civilian award, which honours individuals who have made a significant contribution to the country in various fields.

Assistant Professor Zahra Hoodbhoy was named one of 10 “Goalkeepers Champions” by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for “driving innovative solutions for maternal and child health in low-resource settings.”  ​

Vice Provost Anjum Halai was appointed to serve on Pakistan’s National Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, whose mission is to promote excellence in teaching through the accreditation of the nation’s teacher education programmes.

Dean Lukoye Atwoli was inducted into the U.S. National Academy of Medicine in recognition of his contributions to mental healthcare, policy, education, and epidemiology globally.  In addition, Dean Atwoli was appointed to Kenya's National Academy of Sciences. ​

Vice President, Finance and CFO Shagufta Hassan​ was appointed a member of the Securities and Exchange Policy Board of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan. ​

Global CIO Shaukat Ali Khan received the Global Champion award from the Global CIO Forum.​

Professor Marleen Tem​mermen will receive the title of Commander in the Order of Leopold from His Majesty King Philippe of Belgium, one of the highest honours bestowed by the Kingdom of Belgium. Professor Temmerman was also appointed by the Governor of Mombasa to lead the Board of the Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Assistant Professor Sanaa Alimia of AKU's Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations (ISMC) won the Bloomsbury Pakistan Book Prize for Refugee Cities: How Afghans Changed Urban Pakistan (University of Pennsylvania Press). ISMC graduate Omar Kasmani was also awarded the prize for Queer Companions: Religion, Public Intimacy, and Saintly Affects in Pakistan (Duke University Press).​

Professor Nancy Booker, Dean at the Graduate School of Media and Communications, was appointed to the Board of Directors at Nation Media Group.

Trustee Afaf Meleis​ received the National Humanism in Medicine Medal from the U.S.-based Arnold P. Gold Foundation.

Research.com's list of the best scientists in medicine ranked Dr Zulfiqar Bhutta​ #1 in Pakistan and #146 globally.

Nizar Somji, until recently AKU's Director General of Global Campus Development and Operations, was elected Chancellor of the University of Alberta.​

Professor Rafat Jan was appointed President of the Midwifery Association of Pakistan.

Dr Erick Njenga was elected President of the Kenya Association of Physicians.

Dr Mohammad Wasay received the Kenneth M. Viste, Jr., MD, Patient Advocate of the Year Award from the American Academy of Neurology. 

Dr Miriam Mutebi received the American Society of Clinical Oncology's Humanitarian Award.

Dr Fyezah Jehan received the Paul Harris Award from Rotary International for her work to help thousands of women and children at risk of malnutrition.

Dr Shahzadi Resham won the International Society of Paediatric Oncology's Rising Star Award.

Two of the three 2024 awards presented by the U.S.-based Acc​reditation Council for Graduate Medical Education International went to AKU faculty. Muhammad Rizw​an Khan won the Physician Leader Award and Novera Ghayoor Chughtai won the Physician Educator Award.

AKU graduates received three of the nine gold​ medals awarded at the Convocation of the College of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan. Dr Maryyam Hanif, Dr Alka Rani and Dr Rameesha Khalid received the highest marks in anaesthesiology, histopathology and pulmonology, respectively.

Four alumni of the Graduate School of Media and Communications received awards at the Media Council of Kenya's Annual Journalism Excellence Awards. So did seven journalists who completed a four-month training programme at GSMC.​