Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery (AKU-SONAM) is a trailblazer in advancing nursing education in the region. It was established in 1980s as the first operational academic unit of Aga Khan University and the first school of nursing affiliated with a university in the country. The primary mission of the AKU- SONAM is to raise the standards and image of the nursing profession in the country. Within last 35 years of its journey, AKU-SONAM has been moving forward to achieve this mission. The national and provincial governments of Pakistan view AKU as an essential source of expertise and have chosen AKU-SONAM to help upgrade public sector nursing and midwifery schools, and selected its curriculum as Higher education commission (HEC) and Pakistan Nursing Council (PNC) standard for the national nursing curriculum.
AKU-SONAM graduates are known for providing evidence based care to those who seek, and its alumni, being at the leadership at hospitals, schools and policy level, have demonstrated excellent leadership outcomes locally, regionally and internationally.
Today, AKU-SONAM continues to lead the way in Pakistan and East Africa while supporting Afghanistan, Syria and Egypt in preparing undergraduate and graduate nurses, through its BScN, BScM and MScN programs. In accordance with the vision of the university, AKU-SONAM is striving to generate and disseminate new knowledge through innovation and research activities of its faculty and students and AKU-SONAM’s stepping toward offering a PhD program is one such endeavor. All this is being achieved with devotion, creativity, flexibility and commitment to quality.
Impetus for the Conference:
AKU-SONAM is planning to organize an International conference for Nurses and Midwives (ICNM) in Karachi, Pakistan, with following objectives:
- To reflect on the contribution of AKU-SONAM graduates to the profession and health care systems, organizations and institutions they serve.
- To exhibit the impact of nurses’, midwives’, faculty, graduate students’ and AKU-SONAM alumni in Transforming Health Care Systems from Local to Global
- To extend AKU-SONAM collaboration with nursing regulatory and professional education bodies to continue to make a difference in the profession within Pakistan and in the region.
- To acknowledge 35 years of accomplishment and build the future directions.
