History

In 2000, His Highness the Aga Khan initiated a programme to establish an integrated network of schools, known as the Aga Khan Academies. The aim of the Academies is to provide education to deserving students at an international standard of excellence.

The Aga Khan Academies are part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), which has been involved in education in developing countries for decades. AKDN agencies currently run more than 240 schools and educational programmes ranging from early childhood through to post-graduate education. 

In 2003 the first Academy was established in the Kizingo area of Mombasa, Kenya. A facility inspired by Swahili architecture, the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa is a state-of-the-art learning institution. It is recognised as an International Baccalaureate World School. The Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad was the second to open in 2011, and the third opened in 2013 in Maputo, Mozambique.

Establishment of the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad

Construction of the Aga Khan Academy in Hyderabad began in 2006. The first intake of students was in August 2011 for the Junior School and 2012 for the Senior School, including the residential programme. The Academy has been accredited as an International Baccalaureate World School for the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes. The first class of the Senior School’s Diploma Programme graduated in 2014.

The Academy's Professional Development Centre (PDC) began operating in July 2010, prior to the opening of the school. The first programme offered by the PDC was a series on Professional Learning for Educators. These are collaborative courses designed by the Aga Khan Academies with input from government and educational experts. Their aim is to improve the education of both students and teachers within the region.

A global learning community

As further Aga Khan Academies are established, the vision is for them to become an interconnected network of schools that form a global learning community. The work of the Academies is also enhanced through partnerships with other educational institutions and the agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network.