The Aga Khan University won the Gold Award in the Multinational category for promoting decent work and economic growth at the Employer of the Year Awards 2021 organised by the Employers' Federation of Pakistan, EFP. The University also won three awards in the Best Practice category for Leadership, Benefits and Vision and a fourth in the Progressive category for Structure at the Gender Diversity & Inclusion Benchmark, GDIB, Awards 2021 organised by HR Metrics, Pakistan.
The prestigious Employer of the Year award delivered by the President of Pakistan, Dr Arif Alvi, was accepted by Wasan Miglioranza, vice president, human resources, on behalf of the organisation. Dr Alvi congratulated all winners and expressed profound gratitude to Aga Khan University and other employers for earnestly working to enhance human resources practices in the country.
The nationally recognised Employer of the Year Awards, now in its 8th year, commends human resources practices that directly promote targets under the United Nations's Sustainable Development Goal 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth.
In particular, the EFP awarding body seeks out companies with stimulating and supportive work environments that foster employee engagement for productive outputs. It further promotes those who are proven to exercise exemplary human resource management and corporate social responsibility.
Earlier this month, Aga Khan University was equally honoured to have been conferred a number of awards at the Gender Diversity and Inclusion Benchmarks, GDIB, award ceremony held at The Marriott Hotel, Karachi. At the event, Ms. Miglioranza formally accepted three awards in the Best Practice category for Leadership, Benefits and Vision and a fourth in the Progressive category for Structure.
In the submission for the GDIB awards organised by HR Metrics, the Human Resources team shared how the agenda for diversity and inclusion is considered and reflected in AKU's polices and multiple facets of decision making.
Addressing the awarding body and industry peers in a presentation at the ceremony, Ms. Miglioranza said: “If there is one thing that has been very apparent to me at Aga Khan University, it is that the desire for diversity and inclusion exists in the fabric of the organisation."
She explained that One AKU is the umbrella under which HR polices and strategies align across all of AKU's operations yielding benefits that promote a pluralistic working environment.
Ms. Miglioranza added: “We are committed to building an environment that fosters intellectual freedom, distinction in scholarship, pluralism, compassion, and humanity's collective responsibility for a sustainable physical, social and cultural environment."
In closing, she challenged the audience to be intentional about promoting pro-diversity and inclusive change within their respective organisations.
The recent awards mark the fourth year in a row that the Human Resources Department has been formally recognised for delivering positive impact, fortifying its position as an industry leader.