159 students graduated from the Aga Khan University in Kenya on Saturday at a ceremony attended by Princess Zahra Aga Khan, Cabinet Secretary for Education, and the Honorable Ezekiel Machogu who read a speech from President William Ruto.
“I have great faith in this group of men and women,” President Ruto said in the remarks shared by Cabinet Secretary Machogu. “The reason for my faith is simple: I know what the Aga Khan University stands for. It stands for high standards, access based on merit, and service to society.”
“On graduating, you return to a world that is full of daunting challenges but also of endless possibilities,” Princess Zahra Aga Khan said in Nairobi, speaking on behalf of AKU’s founder and Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan. “Continue to strive with courage and optimism to grasp opportunities to serve your communities and contribute to a more pluralistic and peaceful world.”
The graduates – more than 60 percent of whom are women – were awarded degrees in nursing, medicine, education, and journalism.
On March 16, 2023, AKU celebrated its 40th anniversary. Princess Zahra detailed some of the many achievements that have made the University’s 40th anniversary year one of the most consequential in its history. Four new academic programs welcomed their first students, increasing total enrollment to more than 3,600 for the first time in the University’s history. These are the Bachelor of Medicine, and Bachelor of Surgery programmes in Nairobi, the four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing programmes in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in Karachi. In Nairobi, the Aga Khan University Hospital implemented East Africa’s first integrated electronic health records system. In Uganda, construction began on the University’s new 60-acre campus, which will feature an academic center, student housing, and a new Aga Khan University Hospital. In Tanzania, the University launched the Arusha Climate and Environmental Research Centre.
“We are hopeful that these new and continuing programs and facilities will make AKU an increasingly powerful platform for the education of leaders, the creation of relevant knowledge, and the delivery of world-class education and health care,” said Princess Zahra, who credited the Government of Kenya with creating an enabling environment for the University.
AKU President and Vice-Chancellor Sulaiman Shahabuddin called the day a “crowning moment” for the graduates, noting that the University has awarded nearly 20,000 diplomas, degrees and p, and ostgraduate certificates to date. He outlined the University’s plans for the future, which are contained in its new five-year strategic plan. They include launching close to a dozen new degree programs in fields ranging from data science to teacher education; enhancing research capacity in mental health, climate change, and other disciplines; expanding the AKU health system; deepening the University’s partnerships with public and private institutions at home and abroad; and continuing to earn new forms of academic and health care accreditation from leading international organizations.
“That AKU has been able to achieve so much across its four decades is above all thanks to its founder, Chancellor, and chief benefactor, His Highness the Aga Khan,” President Shahabuddin said. “His Highness’s vision continues to guide us and continually inspire us with the strength to make bold decisions that keep AKU at the forefront of innovation, quality, and impact.”
The School of Nursing and Midwifery conferred its Award of Excellence on Beatrice Njeri Kabura, from the Post-RN Bachelor of Science in Nursing, and Teresiah Ngendo Gachimu, from the Post-RN Bachelor of Science in Midwifery.
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