​​Welcome Address

Welcome to the first Convocation ever to be held on our new Kampala campus. This is a moment that marks both a sense of arrival and a sense of new beginning. 

Last September, we had the privilege of inaugurating this campus in the presence of our Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan; our Pro-Chancellor, Princess Zahra Aga Khan; His Excellency the President; and the First Lady. At that moment, we spoke of the promise that this campus holds. Today, we see that promise being realized in our newest graduates.

Convocation is a celebration of educational achievement. But it is also a moment when learning meets responsibility—when preparation resolutely gives way to service. Today ladies and gentlemen, we honour 108 nurses and midwives, teachers, media professionals, and physicians whose discipline and sense of purpose have brought them to this moment. On behalf of the University, and personally, it is a privilege to congratulate the Class of 2025.

You have reached this moment through years of sustained effort: hours spent grappling with ideas and evidence; long nights when persistence mattered more than inspiration. Some of you traveled long distances or spent weeks or months apart from your families as you pursued your studies. But those sacrifices brought moments you will never forget—at the bedside, in the classroom, and in the newsroom—moments when theory met human reality. Each moment shaped not only what you know, but who you are becoming.

It was not easy. But without question, it was worth it.

Convocation is also a moment for reflection. It invites us to consider the generation now stepping forward—one of the most educated generations in Uganda’s history! Its members are inclusive and eager to collaborate. Digitally fluent, they see technology not as disruption but as opportunity. They are enterprising—eager to launch new initiatives and to use their skills to solve real-world problems.  

At the same time, this generation of future leaders is clear-eyed about reality. They worry about poverty and inequality; lack of access to health care; climate change; and whether education systems are keeping pace with a rapidly changing world. And they are eager to make their voices heard. 

Ladies and gentlemen, the Class of 2025 is ready to meet the challenges Uganda faces: they are ethically grounded and prepared to lead with humility and care. Uganda’s future will be shaped not only by policies and capital, but by professionals like our class of 2025 with integrity and competence. 

Graduates, I am optimistic because of you—and also because of the vision of the Aga Khan University and the progress it continues to make in realizing that vision.

Today, the Aga Khan University is stronger and more capable than ever. We see compelling evidence of that strength on this campus—in our programmes, in our facilities, and in the Aga Khan University Hospital, Kampala, whose construction is now underway. When the Hospital opens its doors in the third quarter of 2028, it will not only deliver world-class care, but also serve as an outstanding teaching site—training the next generation of health professionals here in Uganda.

With these facilities in place, AKU and its graduates will, as our Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan, said last September, “bring transformational impact to Uganda and to the region.” We will enable Ugandans to access international-quality health care close to home; prepare talented women and men to lead change in their communities and professions; and advance research that strengthens health and education across the country—while remaining firmly committed to access, through financial assistance that ensures students and patients of limited means are not left behind.

The campus and the hospital will be thriving components of the Aga Khan Development Network’s growing health and education systems in East Africa. The system already cares for over two million patients each year and educates more than 10,000 students through Aga Khan University and the Aga Khan Schools. As this campus fills up, those numbers will grow substantially.

Yet AKU’s progress is not limited to what we see on this site. Across its campuses, the University has launched 18 new degree programmes over the last five years, bringing total global enrollment to more than 4,000 for the first time in its history. Last year, 27 members of our faculty were ranked among the top two percent of scientists globally and fifteen of them alumni of this University. At the same time, our faculty secured more than one hundred million dollars in research funding from leading institutions in Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia. That is a new, all-time record for the Aga Khan University!

All this means that we are sending more and more leaders into the world, in more and more disciplines, with each passing year. And that we are making this University one of the best places in Africa to address infectious disease, women’s and children’s health, educational disparities, and much more.

We are also acting decisively on climate change and sustainability, including on this campus. I am so proud that all three buildings on this site have received EDGE Advanced certification for their energy efficiency. The Hospital, for example, will use roughly 60 percent less energy than comparable hospitals.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to take a moment to acknowledge the people who quietly sustain this University.

I am deeply grateful to our faculty—clinicians, scientists, and above all teachers and mentors who shape capable and thoughtful leaders. I also wish to recognize our exceptional staff. Through your commitment and professionalism, you give life to the University’s mission every day. I must recognize as well our AKDN colleagues and AKDN agencies who continue to do so much to facilitate AKU’s growth in Uganda.

I would also like to thank the distinguished members of our Board of Trustees and University Council for the care and responsibility with which they guide this institution. I am equally grateful to the many donors who have joined us. Your generosity reflects a deep belief in education and health care as forces for good. So much of what we celebrate today would not be possible without your continuing support.

The Government of Uganda and His Excellency the President have, of course, played an absolutely essential role in the development of the University’s Kampala campus. President Museveni has our heartfelt gratitude. We are also excited about our growing partnership with the public sector and are keenly looking forward to deepening the same. As our Chancellor said in September, “It is partnership that turns ripples of change into waves of progress.”

And of course, all of us are deeply grateful to Princess Zahra Aga Khan, our Pro-Chancellor, whose leadership is such a privilege for the University. Princess Zahra, you have been immensely gracious with your time and counsel, and we want you to know how much we value your engagement and your support. Above all, we express our profound gratitude to His Highness the Aga Khan, our Chancellor whose vision, guidance, and generosity continue to shape our work and give it meaning. In a moment, we will have the privilege of hearing a video message from His Highness for which all of us are very grateful.

Ladies and gentlemen, the work AKU is doing in Uganda and elsewhere is making a meaningful difference. The graduates before us will extend that impact further—and in ways we cannot yet imagine.

Class of 2025: you have learned much at the Aga Khan University. Now it is up to you to put your education to work—to choose purpose over ease, service over self, and integrity over advantage.

Once again, congratulations.

Thank you.