The Aga Khan Curricular Strands (AK Strands) are a unique part of the programme offered by the Aga Khan Academies. The AK Strands are areas of learning aimed specifically at developing knowledge, skills and attitudes required by future leaders.

Our goal at the Academies is to develop young people who have strong local roots and are also globally minded. They should be able to become leaders in whichever fields they choose.

To help achieve this goal, we have identified five areas of learning, the Aga Khan Curricular Strands, that we believe are important for our students. These are:

• Ethics
• Pluralism
• Cultures (with an emphasis on Muslim civilisations)
• Governance and Civil Society
• Economics for Development.

Implementing the AK Strands

The Aga Khan Curricular Strands are not taught as independent subjects. Instead, we weave them into the existing subject areas of the academic curriculum. They help inform the selection of content and themes for study. The AK Strands also provide direction for school life outside the classroom in areas such as policy making, recruitment, student life and residential life.

Two of the AK Strands, Ethics and Pluralism, help students develop values and dispositions required by ethical leaders. Our students learn about these areas in theory and are also encouraged to practice what they learn in their everyday lives.

Through the other three AK Strands, our students learn about ideas that are important to the functioning of societies. In particular, they learn about how these ideas impact people’s lives in countries of the developing world. The knowledge they gain helps them understand key issues from both local and international perspectives.

The AK Strands in practice

The Aga Khan Curricular Strands were developed at the first Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa and are designed to be used in different cultural contexts. Teachers at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad helped tailor the AK Strands for the local environment in India.

For example, Grade 3 students worked on a history and geography unit about Hyderabad that related to Economics for Development. The students examined how the physical features of the area influenced the city and its economic activity. They learned about employment today and also looked at traditional forms of work, including a visit to a nearby weaving cooperative. This unit helped the students understand both general ideas about economics and their impact on daily life in Hyderabad.

Through the Aga Khan Curricular Strands, our students develop attitudes and values that will help them throughout their lives. They also gain knowledge and understanding that will allow them to contribute positively to their societies in the future.

For more information on the educational programme offered at the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka, please visit the Academic Programme page.

The Aga Khan Academy Mombasa’s University Counselling programme offers students a vast array of resources designed to help them find good matches between themselves and universities/colleges. These resources include a dynamic and well-resourced college counsellor, a wealth of printed, video and online tools and a series of informational workshops and seminars on topics central to the college discovery process.

Our counsellor engages students in individual conferences that are designed to help students reach a greater awareness of who they are. Armed with the well-articulated sense of self, students are prepared to find universities or colleges that are the best fit. Ours is a student-centred approach, and we believe that the likelihood of satisfaction with their choices is enhanced when students are empowered to 'own' the process. Also key to success is good communication among all parties: students, parents and college counsellors. While outcomes are important, it is the process of self-discovery and college-discovery on which our programme focuses.

The Aga Khan Academies University Counselling Handbook has been prepared in order to orient students to the complex and exciting process of university application and selection. The handbook provides definite guidelines and schedules that will help students comprehend the many issues and challenges they will face in their last years of secondary school. It is designed to provide the beginning steps and an outline of the application process and curriculum in various countries.

The handbook serves as a road map that will guide students as they embark on the transition from the Academy to university. It will be helpful only to the extent that students take advantage of the information it contains. The book does not replace the help of the University Counselling Office. However, it does provide answers to frequently-asked questions, it can help students organise their thoughts about university and, in general, it can eliminate much confusion if time is taken to read it and incorporate its recommendations into university planning.

For further details, please contact our University Counsellors via email: 

Lucinda Ochieng – University Counsellor: lucinda.ochieng@agakhanacademies.org

Paula Russell – University Counsellor: paula.russell@agakhanacademies.org

University Counselling: university.counselling@agakhanacademies.org  

HALI.png

The Aga Khan Academy Mombasa works with a number of High-Achieving Low-Income African students through our school's generous financial aid and Talent Identification Programme. As such, we are a member of the HALI Access Network.

0844 SS.jpg

Welcome to the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad! I hope this website will capture your imagination and give you some insights into this remarkable school. We are part of a global network of schools unleashing the potential of young people! Inspired by the vision of His Highness the Aga Khan, we offer world-class education to exceptional students of all backgrounds or financial circumstance.  

Our graduates are reflective, compassionate, adventurous and creative. They go on to excellent universities around the world as confident global citizens empowered to make a positive contribution in a changing world. Our curriculum is challenging, engaging and experiential – allowing students to find their strengths and develop their passions. Our state-of-the-art campus has exceptional facilities in a beautiful natural environment.  

An Academy education combines the very best features of a high academic challenge with a unique approach to the enrichment and personal development of young people. We prepare our students for exams and we equip them to earn a living, and we do all of these things with rigour which nurtures the potential and achievement of each individual. Yet the education we offer is designed to go far beyond these goals; to develop the whole person and not just a part; to help each individual to become, in the words of our mission statement, "fearless learners who are culturally-rooted and internationally-minded.”

Visitors discover a friendly and dynamic atmosphere here – there is a determination to succeed, to enjoy life, to enjoy each other's company and, most importantly, to discover that there is far more in each of us than we think!  

Dr Jonathan Long

Head of Academy