The Aga Khan University (AKU) celebrated its 5th Annual Authors Day with a day of events across its global campuses, honouring the impactful work of its authors. The theme, Bold Voices, Powerful Stories, Lasting Impact, captured the spirit of the day, engaging faculty, students, and staff in recognizing scholarly achievements and inspiring future publications.
The day officially kicked off with the global anchor event hosted by Professor Shahzad Bashir, Dean of the Institute for Muslim Civilisations (ISMC), at the Aga Khan Centre in London. Professor Peter Gatiti, Vice Provost and University Librarian, opened the proceedings before introducing the high-profile keynote speaker, Dr Kamran Abbasi, Editor-in-Chief of The British Medical Journal (BMJ).
Dr Abbasi delivered an engaging talk on the challenges facing academic medical journals and the researchers who publish in them. He stressed the critical need to involve patients in the design and implementation of medical research and noted lessons learned from the pandemic, emphasizing the importance of developing and sustaining learning networks. Highlighting important policy shifts, Dr. Abbasi also announced the BMJ's new requirement for authors to share analytic codes and data for all studies. He humorously reiterated a key principle for the tech-minded: Artificial Intelligence cannot be listed as an author as it cannot be held accountable for submitted work.
The Karachi campus hosted two significant sessions. A major highlight featured Zafar Masud, President and CEO of the Bank of Punjab and one of only two survivors of the tragic PIA Flight 8303 plane crash in 2020. Mr Masud spoke about his memoir, Seat 1C: A Survivor's Tale of Hope, Resilience, and Renewal.
His book is a raw and gripping recount that explores vital themes of hope, resilience, and a fearless critique of the institutional rot that contributed to the tragedy. The deeply moving talk, moderated by MBBS student Ukasha Mujeeb (Class of 2025), drew out compelling details of the author's life-changing experience. In a generous gesture, Mr Masud also donated copies of his book to the University library.
Later, the Institute for Educational Development (IED) hosted a panel discussion moderated by Dean Farid Panjwani. The session highlighted open-education resources developed by IED faculty, featuring four books published in 2024–25. Panellists Dr Munira AmirAli, Ms Yasmeen Mahboob, Ms Kiran Qasim Ali, and Dr Fozia Parveen shared thoughtful insights on their respective books, engaging participants in a rich discussion on the importance of open-access resources for teachers and researchers.
In Gilgit, the Professional Development Centre North (PDCN) launched the 'Take a Book, Leave a Book' initiative, inaugurated by Mr Darvash Karim, Acting Head, PDCN. This book-sharing concept, originally introduced by the IED Library in 2022 and now adopted across all AKU libraries, promotes sharing and lifelong reading.
In Nairobi, Mr Francis Okomo Okello, Non-Executive Chairman of TPS Eastern Africa PLC, gave a keynote presentation based on his autobiography, Concert of Life. Mr Okello shared his authorship journey, encouraging upcoming authors to remain resilient and collaborate with others.
The Nairobi celebrations included an awards ceremony, recognizing twenty-five faculty and staff authors for their scholarship, including first-time authors, early-career researchers, and those writing books and book chapters. The AKU Journalism Club also received an award for their publication, White Coat Chronicles.
Special recognition was given to the following professors for having the highest number of publications within their entities for the past five years: Professor Robert Opoka (Medical College); Professor George Nyabuga (Graduate School of Media and Communications); and Professor Sheila Shaibu (School of Nursing and Midwifery, East Africa).
The Kampala campus featured insightful presentations from faculty and staff, along with a keynote address by Dr Martin Ongol, Executive Secretary of the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology. Dr Ongol encouraged authors to nurture an active writing culture and maintain a positive mindset to overcome “author paralysis." His message was a timely reminder of the power of consistency, collaboration, and purpose in academic writing.
The Uganda chapter also recognized outstanding scholarly contributions, awarding Dr Mary Namuguzi, Dr John Baptist Asiimwe, Dr Sarah Nakaziba, and Mary Grace Nakate.
