Marking the end of their internship placements, four AKU-VIP interns took to the virtual stage (aka zoom), to share their projects with the world. Azim Dinani, Nathan Donald, Evan McFee, and Deena Siddiqui were placed with mentors in very culturally diverse locations than their own, earning them global experiences from their own locations.
Azim Dinani presented the risk assessment he was conducting with his mentor at AKU’s Global Engagement Office. His work focused on the impact COVID had on mobility around the world, and the steps that had to be taken to counter its spread in a post-quarantined world. A large part of AKU-VIP is making connections – Azim was introduced to AKU’s risk department and was able to partake in multiple communications with them. Azim’s conclusions and recommendations came after extensive meetings with the risk department who acknowledged the recommendations shared and benefited from a student perspective.
Nathan Donald, who worked with Alex Holland at the Aga Khan Academies (AKA), presented his research on how school level curriculums teach students about the environment and how different cultures interact with it. With the help of his mentor, Nathan made recommendations to the AKA curriculum through a research report. His report included concepts, pedagogy, and integration of environmental issues to the forefront of classrooms. The placement gave Nathan the opportunity to connect with students around the world and understand the way different countries interact with nature. These interviews were conducted in Mozambique, Kenya, India, and Canada. Even though his internship period has officially ended, Nathan will be working closely with Alex and presenting his findings in a meeting with AKA this January.
Deena Siddiqui interned with Dr. Tazeen Saeed Ali at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Aga Khan University in Pakistan. Being from Toronto, she was exposed to an extremely different cultural environment than one she was used to. Her project was on Women Empowerment in Pakistan, which looks at the evolution of women empowerment interventions throughout history and the current determinants of gender inequality in Pakistan. Deena’s project included reading through over 50 discussions and close to 40 interview transcripts, giving her an in-depth understanding of the culturally specific mindsets she was working with. By the end of her project, the reports she created with her mentor and team were presented to the Government of Pakistan and healthcare officials and policymakers. These led to them agreeing to the implementation of partnerships with the United Nations Population Fund.
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Evan McFee worked with Malika Giles at the Aga Khan Agency for Habitat (AKAH) on a solid waste assessment based in Khorog, Tajikistan. Focusing on 3 main regions, Evan put together recommendations for the AKAH by researching the way Germany implemented waste management and then used his findings to recommend changes in Kyrgyzstan and Nepal. By the end of his project, Evan was able to conclude the kind of approaches that work best for the towns. He also found ways in which to raise awareness and made recommendations on the public service campaigns.
Since the start of AKU-VIP in 2020, interns have been placed in over 14 countries virtually. The internships have provided students access to real-life projects which they work on with global teams. The impact created by students has included working alongside the AKDN agencies to research and provide solutions to current global issues.
