About ​Us​

The mission of the Aga Khan University (AKU) is to improve quality of life in the developing world and beyond through world-class teaching, research and health-care delivery. The University educates students for local and global leadership, generates new knowledge to solve problems that affect millions of people, and raises standards and aspirations in the countries in which it works. We empower women and the disadvantaged, build support for pluralism, and collaborate with local partners and world-renowned organizations to achieve shared goals.

Founded in 1983 as Pakistan’s first private university, AKU is a not-for-profit institution and an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network. Starting in 2000, the University expa​​nded​ to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Afghanistan, and the United Kingdom. ​

AKU began life as a health-sciences university. We are among the largest private health-care providers in Pakistan and East Africa. Our hospitals were the first in those regions accredited by U.S.-based Joint Commission International, and our research and our graduates have influenced health policy and practice nationally and internationally.

More recently, we have initiated programmes in teacher education, the study of Muslim civilisations, journalism, early childhood development and public policy. In the near future, we will launch a Faculty of Arts and Sciences whose programmes will educate future leaders in a wide range of fields, and we will establish additional graduate professional schools. ​

Our goal, in the words of our founder and Chancellor, His Highness t​he Aga Khan, is to be “on the frontiers of scientific and humanistic knowledge, radiating intelligence and confidence, research and graduates, into flourishing economies and progressive legal and political systems.”​

Our Vision
The Aga Khan University will be an autonomous, international institution of distinction, primarily serving the developing world and Muslim societies in innovative and enduring ways.​

Mission
The ​Aga Khan University is committed to the development of human capacities through the discovery and dissemination of knowledge, and application through service.

It seeks to prepare individuals for constructive and exemplary leadership roles, and shaping public and private policies, through strength in research and excellence in education, all dedicated to providing meaningful contributions to society.
To advance this mission, AKU will:
Offer programmes of international quality.
Respond to identified needs in the countries and regions which it serves.
Prioritise
teaching and research which will inform and underpin intellectual innovation and change.
Provide service to advance its educational and research mandate.
Foster and develop leadership capacity through its education and research programmes.
Assess its impact and effectiveness.
Promote access and equity by taking positive measures to make the University inclusive of all socio-economic groups, addressing the particular needs and circumstances of the disadvantaged, promoting the welfare and advancement of women.
Engage in knowledge networking and emerging technologies.
Add value by promoting partnership and networking across the Aga Khan Development Network, and with other national and international institutions.

Values​
As ​an inter​national institution, in achieving its mission, Aga Khan University operates on the core principles of I​mpact, Quality, Relevance and​ Access.
Inspired by Islamic ethics, humanistic ideals and the philosophy of Aga Khan Development Network, the University is committed to building an environment that fosters intellectual freedom, distinction in scholarship, pluralism, compassion, and humanity's collective responsibility for a sustainable physical, social and cultural environment. ​​​