The university graduates 461 students in the 38th call and almost 70% of the class is made up of women
Princess Zahra Aga Khan was formally installed as the first Pro-Chancellor of the Aga Khan University. Photo: aku.edu
Princess Zahra Aga Khan was formally installed as the first Pro-Chancellor of the Aga Khan University (AKU) on Saturday as the institution graduated 461 students from 18 degree programs in its 38th convocation in Pakistan.
As Pro-Chancellor, Princess Zahra will guide AKU in its continued efforts to improve the quality of life across the country.
“The geographical expansion of the university has seen AKU’s presence spread across Pakistan, to more cities and towns than ever before,” Princess Zahra said. “From Karachi to Matiari, from Lahore to Gilgit, health professionals, educators and university researchers are part of the fabric of people’s lives.”
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In his message, AKU Chancellor His Highness the Aga Khan noted that the university and its graduates have “both an extraordinary responsibility and an extraordinary opportunity: to create, disseminate and apply knowledge in ways that improve the quality of human life.”
This year graduated the first cohort of the Institute for Educational Development’s Bachelor of Education program, which offers a rigorous blend of academic and field-based learning that prepares graduates to teach effectively in diverse educational settings.
With nearly 70% of the graduating class being women, the university is actively addressing the gender gap in a country where millions of girls remain out of school.
Valedictorian Muhammad Taha Nasim thanked AKU faculty, highlighting how they challenged graduates to “achieve our highest standards while teaching us that excellence without empathy is empty.”
AKU graduates are filling important job gaps. In a country with a nurse-to-population ratio of just 5.2 per 10,000, AKU alumni now hold senior leadership positions in approximately 80 nursing and midwifery schools.
In 2025, the university secured more than $100 million in research funding. Across the university, 27 professors were ranked among the top two percent of scientists globally in a study by a Stanford University researcher.
“Pakistan’s youth are inclusive, comfortable with different religions and perspectives, and aware that a divided society cannot address shared challenges,” said Dr. Sulaiman Shahabuddin, President of AKU. “Digitally fluent, they see technology not as a disruption but as an opportunity to expand knowledge, develop skills, and apply learning practically.”
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To ensure that talented students with limited financial resources can attend AKU, the university provides financial assistance to a large portion of the student body. In the last academic year, 72% of students across all classes and programs in Pakistan received financial assistance.
Noorish Khan, Syeda Tasmiya Moheyuddin, Dr. Hamzah Jehanzeb and Sara Karim Sadruddin received the awards for the best graduates in their respective university programs in dental hygiene, education, medicine and nursing.
Also present at the ceremony was Shamsh Kassim-Lakha, founding president of AKU and chairman of the board of trustees of the University of Central Asia, a sister university of AKU within the Aga Khan Development Network.
The university also presented Awards of Distinction to several faculty and staff, recognizing their sustained contributions to innovation, research and leadership. Emeritus Professor Mushtaq Ahmed was awarded the President’s Medal, one of AKU’s highest honours, in recognition of his extraordinary service as an eminent surgeon and academic leader.
