The Aga Khan University (AKU) recently hosted a landmark summit, bringing together senior higher education regulators from Pakistan and East Africa. This gathering signals a significant step towards creating South-South collaboration aimed at strengthening quality, expanding access, and promoting more flexible academic models across these regions.
Convened by AKU's Office of the Provost, the summit served as a platform for international dialogue among the regulatory bodies that oversee academic standards and educational programme approvals. The goal is to establish cross-border partnerships, paving the way for joint degrees, shared diploma programmes and other collaborative ventures across AKU's campuses in Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
A Call to “Think Beyond Borders"
Dr Tania Bubela, Provost & Vice President , Academic at AKU, welcomed delegates from Pakistan's Higher Education Commission, Kenya's Commission for University Education (CUE), Tanzania's Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Vocational Training, and Uganda's National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). Delegates toured AKU's main campus in Karachi, Karimabad campus and the AKU Examination Board.
In a keynote address, Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, President of AKU, urged participants to “think beyond borders" and leverage AKU's network of campuses and the wider Aga Khan Development Network to reach new learners. “When we pool ideas and resources, we amplify our impact on the communities we all serve," he said, noting AKU's long-standing record of translating research and training into tangible socioeconomic gains across South Asia and East Africa.
Mapping the Next Steps
During the summit, AKU's faculties and institutes showcased innovative projects – from the Medical College's digital-health initiatives to the Institute for Educational Development's teacher-training innovations. These were highlighted as potential foundations for future joint programmes.
Roundtable sessions on nursing, undergraduate and graduate programmes saw regulators comparing policy frameworks and identifying flexibilities that could expedite approvals for dual and multilateral degrees. Participants agreed that their respective guidelines are already evolving to accommodate new delivery models and pledged to keep those reforms on track.
A United Way Forward
The summit concluded with a unanimous endorsement for the creation of an ongoing 'regulators' forum' to be hosted by AKU. “This dialogue has shown us how much we can achieve together," one official remarked. “Regular touchpoints will turn today's ideas into tomorrow's classrooms."
The summit underscores AKU's growing role as a convenor of international higher education policy. Planning is already underway to develop joint curricula and credit-transfer mechanisms, setting the stage for a new era of South-South academic collaboration.
