Mozambique's Minister of Education signs MoU with Aga Khan Development Network

Minister of Education and Human Development Conceita Sortane used the occasion of a visit to the Aga Khan Academy in Maputo – at the invitation of Aga Khan Development Network representative Nazim Ahmad – to sign a memorandum of understanding acknowledging the longstanding good relations between the two parties.

The main purpose of the memorandum is to further explore the joint establishment of collaborative initiatives between the AKDN and the Ministry of Education and Human Development (MINEDH) towards national strategic objectives, as described in the national education strategy, particularly in the areas of student learning, teacher training, integration of information and communication technologies in teacher education, good governance and early childhood development.

At the signing ceremony Minister Sortane said, “It is an honour for us, the Ministry of Education and Human Development, to celebrate this agreement with the Aga Khan Development Network,” and “It is beyond doubt that knowledge is the only way to promote sustainable development.”

Nazim Ahmad replied that “it is the deepest ambition of the Aga Khan Academies to form the future leaders of the countries where they are located, and Mozambique is no exception”, underlining that “associated with its rigorous academic programme are the guiding principles of Aga Khan academies covering five strands: ethics, pluralism, economics for development, cultures and governance and civil society. ”

After the signing of the memorandum, the minister and delegation were given a guided tour of the facilities by the Academy director and students, an opportunity to also learn about ongoing construction of the campus and the Academy’s Professional Development Centre programmes that are training and empowering Mozambican teachers.

The Academy currently has about a hundred students and, when construction is complete, will have a capacity of 750 students. The Academy teaches the International Baccalaureate curriculum, is bilingual in Portuguese and English and will offer boarding in order to cover the whole country.

The visit was attended by senior dignitaries of MINEDH and AKDN and the French Ambassador to Mozambique, as the French government is supporting the construction of the Academy through a financial loan.