4:26 pm. Four minutes were left until the arrival of our chief guest, Birad Rajaram Yajnik, in a small room next to where the Opening Ceremony was supposed to take place. One director next to another, smiles of nervousness were worn with elegant black suits, graceful dresses, and palette of different ties. With a sudden tap, we were present in front of a man who has written a book translated in nine different languages, spoke on the basis of Gandhi of the 21^st century, and was the creator of the “World Citizen Passport”.

Within minutes, after we made our way to the Opening Ceremony, the Secretary General, Alisha Sonawalla passionately announced, “I now declare the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad Model United Nations open!” Putting one last button on their suits freshly taken out of their wardrobes, students metamorphosed into delegates making their way to their respective committees. One could not help but notice the solidarity present amongst everyone.

The press was known as the ears and eyes of the MUN conference. A picture can speak a thousand words and seeing is to believe. It is through press that one can connect with another and information has been accessible in every corner of the world. And, within our small community, this is what happened. Two articles were written by each reporter to capture the committee they were allotted to report. A formal article was written represented by their newspaper and another choice article was written to encapsulate the committee in the most creative way possible. Press conferences and crisis were also an integral part of the work that the reporters and photographers had to take up.

Reporters and photographers were on their feet at all times, running to capture a crisis update, to jotting down the points. As director, chasing them to do their work was a bit tedious, being left with a sea of words to look over. At the end of the day, the array of words and pictures will keep the memories of the Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad Models United Nations alive for years to come.

By Nikita Madhani

Education at its best facilitates positive growth in all domains – intellectual, social, physical, ethical and spiritual – leading to the well-rounded development of the child. The Aga Khan Academies aim toward this ideal, and the values they espouse are reflected in each school’s aspirations for its students.

Students at an Academy pursue a well-balanced education combining intellectual inquiry, academic excellence, sporting and cultural activities, and a grounding in ethics and moral reasoning 

They are committed to rigour and self-discipline in their studies and subscribe to the principles of intellectual honesty in the preparation of their work.

They respect their teachers and fellow students. They extend their respect to the cultural, religious and political convictions of others in school and in society. They dedicate themselves to debate issues honestly and fairly. They aim to understand and recognise the value of other views even as they value their own.

They are self-aware and socially conscious. They are committed to the development of their communities, their nation and civil society in the world at large. They are motivated to help others less fortunate than themselves.

They strive to acquire knowledge as part of a balanced, lifelong process of inquiry that leads to intellectual and personal growth, as well as a means to fulfil material goals.

The mastery of a particular discipline is balanced by a broad knowledge of several subjects, including science, art, literature and music.

They are also citizens of the world and at ease in environments and settings other than their own. They are generous and tolerant towards other cultures and traditions.

They are bilingual or multilingual.

They embrace the rich diversity of the world while valuing their own identity. 

Read more  here.

Interested to know more about our graduates? See spotlights on our alumni

Salim A.L. Bhatia
Director of AcademiesThe Aga Khan Academies are a network of schools being established by His Highness the Aga Khan in countries across South and Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

As the Director of Academies, I have been entrusted with His Highness’s extraordinary vision for the Academies as a global learning community, where young people develop the capacity to become future leaders of civil society.

The underlying idea of the Aga Khan Academies network is to concentrate substantial resources on those exceptional individuals – students and teachers – who have the potential to transform society. When provided with a world-class education, exceptional students from any background can achieve their significant potential and in so doing improve their lives, the lives of their families, their communities, their country and the world. 

At this time, we envisage a network of approximately 18 campuses across 14 countries that, when fully developed, will be teaching 14,000 students.

Each Aga Khan Academy will reach out to students of all backgrounds, regardless of culture, race, religion or financial circumstance.

The Academies follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, ensuring a global standard of educational excellence and external validation through the annual IB Diploma exams.

The Academies also work to enhance the quality of teaching, the base on which good education rests. Each Aga Khan Academy will provide professional development programmes for teachers and school leaders from within the Academy as well as from government and other schools.

The students in our existing Academies are already achieving exceptional results across domains spanning academics, athletics and the arts. And our alumni, many of whom attend leading universities around the world, are demonstrating a deep sense of social responsibility and a commitment to return to serve their home countries.

Ultimately, we hope that the qualities of good leadership – sound moral judgment, self-discipline, a pluralistic outlook and civic responsibility – are the qualities that will distinguish Aga Khan Academy graduates.

"Our goal, then, is not to provide special education for a privileged elite – but to provide an exceptional education for the truly exceptional." His Highness the Aga Khan (Hyderabad, September 2006)I invite you to explore our website further to learn more about the Aga Khan Academies and the unique and innovative programme they offer.

With warm wishes,

Salim A.L. Bhatia
Director of Academies