One might think a university with only 2500 students would have limited impact.
But with campuses in six countries and a focus on quality, relevance, impact, and access,Aga Khan University (AKU) carries much more clout than enrollment numbers suggest.
A recent Global Health lecture featured AKU Health Sciences Vice President Salim Hasham, who provided an overview of AKU, its involvement with the Aga Khan Development Network, and how it's changing the lives of the surrounding communities.
"One of our goals here at Aga Khan University is to elevate the standards of the quality of life, and our primary role is to bring values to life," said Hasham. "There's a range of things we do. We look at education and health care as specific interventions, but we bring everything together."
AKU has campuses in Afghanistan, Tanzania, Uganda, Kenya, the United Kingdom, and Pakistan, but the reach of the university doesn't end there.
AKU is one of three agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), an organization which focuses on health, education, culture, rural development, institution-building, and the promotion of economic development. Aga Khan Health Services, and the Aga Khan Foundation also work closely with the AKDN.
"We are focused on community health, and we are very interested in population health," said Hasham. "This is something that is at the grass roots level. Our basic belief is that we have to start at the level of the community, and then we look at all care from a very comprehensive standpoint."
By the numbers
2,427 current students
12,932 alumni
13,389 faculty and staff
6 teaching sites and campuses: Afghanistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, United Kingdom, Pakistan
7 hospitals
259 outreach centers
JCI-Accredited health care system
3 New Faculties: Faculty of Arts & Sciences in Pakistan, Faculty of Arts & Sciences in East Africa, Faculty of Health Sciences in East Africa
3 continents: Africa, Asia, Europe
7 Planned Graduate Schools: Architecture & Human Settlement, Economic Growth & Development Education, Government, Public Policy and Civil Society Law, Leadership & Management, Leisure & Tourism, Media & Communications
AKU Hospital, Karachi: 4 secondary care hospitals, 213 outreach centers, 996 beds, 88,000 in-patients and over 1 million out-patient visits
"Our view is long term to uplift society. We want to make sure that anything we do has the highest level of impact and access for those we serve," said Hasham.
To view the presentation click here