AKDN at the IB Conference

The International Baccalaureate (IB) holds three Regional Conferences each year for educational leaders, decision makers and practitioners involved in delivering IB programmes around the world. The conferences showcase best practice in education, and invite a prestigious range of speakers to highlight key issues in international education today. 

At the 2015 AEM (Africa, Europe and the Middle East) Regional Conference held at The Hague, the IB and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) collaborated to offer a one-day workshop titled Many Muslim Voices for teachers and administrators in IB schools on 29 October, the day before the conference. This collaboration grew from the Memorandum of Understanding between the IB and the AKDN, which includes a commitment to sharing expertise and broadening the relevance of curricular content, with specific attention to the developing world and Muslim societies. 

The workshop explored the richness and diversity of Muslim cultures and civilisations from multiple perspectives. Using music, poetry and art as points of departure, speakers and learning activities fostered appreciation of the histories and contributions of Islamic societies. Shared inquiry and reflection aimed to close gaps in intercultural understanding in the “clash of ignorances” that can cause conflict between perspectives present in today’s world.

Speakers included:

• Farid Panjwani – Institute of Education, University College London (formerly at the Aga Khan University's Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations)
• Ian Jamieson – Tony Blair Faith Foundation, UK
• Safaruk Chowdhury – The King Fahad Academy, UK
• Jovanna Scorescone – Aga Khan Museum
• Fairouz Nishanova – Aga Khan Music Initiative

This year, for the first time, the Regional Conference ran in parallel with the IB Heads World Conference, bringing 500 Heads of IB Schools to the venue as well. The Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa was represented on a discussion panel focussing on issues related to classroom practice.

During the conference, displays highlighted the work of the Aga Khan Museum and the Aga Khan Music Initiative and showcased curriculum units from the Aga Khan Academies that draw on the work of these agencies. 

Examples of the Academies’ curriculum development work can be found and downloaded here.