The first-ever global convocation ceremony of the Aga Khan University (AKU) was live-streamed to a worldwide audience today, as 667 students on three continents received their degrees and listened to speeches by Aga Khan, chief guest Melinda French Gates and AKU President Firoz Rasul.
Aga Khan, AKU’s founder and Chancellor, expressed his pride in the university’s contributions to the fight against the pandemic and saluted the courage and resilience of its faculty, staff and students
He praised the graduates in Pakistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the United Kingdom for having chosen “a path of service to humanity.”
“The university has made a critical difference – advising national governments, training public-sector medical staff, working with teachers and schools, raising awareness through media and journalism, and doing everything possible to treat patients and to save lives,” the Aga Khan said.
He also noted the role of AKU researchers in tracking new mutations of the coronavirus, assessing the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and evaluating therapies for COVID-19.
Melinda French Gates, Co-chair and Trustee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, commended the university for its leadership in improving health and empowering women, and voiced confidence in the graduates.
“The Aga Khan University is not only a global resource – it is a transformative force for public health and women’s health,” Ms French Gates said. “We’re proud of our partnership with AKU over the years.”
“As graduates of AKU, you join a remarkable group of women and men who are changing lives for the better all over the world,” she told the graduates. “And let me tell you: the world desperately needs your energy and leadership.”
The Gates Foundation and the Aga Khan Development Network, including AKU, are working together in Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and East Africa to improve health, advance economic development and create opportunities for women and girls.
To date, the Foundation has provided approximately $90 million in funding for research and other projects at AKU in areas including maternal and child health, infectious diseases, malnutrition and COVID-19.
Khan thanked Ms. French Gates and the Gates Foundation for their support to AKU and noted their “crucial and catalytic role” in battling the pandemic, improving health globally and advancing gender equality.
President Firoz Rasul told the graduates their AKU education had prepared them to make a profound difference in people’s lives.
“You can be at the forefront in building the independent intellectual and scientific capacity that will enable Asia and Africa to tackle the biggest challenges facing them and the wider world,” he said.
