Director's Welcome

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 foundation of good education. Each Aga Khan Academy will provide professional development programmes for teachers and school leaders from within the Academy, as well as from the government and other schools.

The students in our existing Academies are already achieving exceptional results across academics, athletics, and the arts. Our alumni, many of whom attend leading universities around the world, are demonstrating a deep sense of social responsibility and a commitment to returning 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 programmes they offer.

With warm wishes,

Salim A.L. Bhatia
Director of Academies