AKDN, Indian HC discuss joint collaboration in education sector

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Kumar Doraiswami has visited the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka, the latest addition to an integrated global network of non-profit, non-denominational, residential schools known as the Aga Khan Academies.

The Aga Khan Development Network’s (AKDN) Diplomatic Resident Representative Munir M. Merali welcomed the high commissioner on Sunday.

Accompanying the High Commissioner were Shubham Yadav, Second Secretary (Projects & Acting Director, IGCC) and Rajinder Singh - Second Secretary (Education).

During his meeting with the students of the middle-school, High Commissioner Doraiswami discussed the importance of a good education as a requisite to be able to participate in a globally integrated modern economy.

As part of his engagement, Doraiswami encouraged students to be driven by their own imagination and pursue the best education possible – and become leaders in their careers of choice.

In a meeting with the Academy’s teachers, Representative Merali introduced the High Commissioner to staff from India.

He also met with the participants a part of the Academy’s Teacher Preparation Programme, which consists of local graduates who will train to become International Baccalaureate (IB) certified teachers and spend part of their programme at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad in India, where they will be mentored by skilled IB teachers and gain hands-on knowledge inside and outside the classroom.

A week before, the Academy opened its doors for the first time to 575 students who began their first academic year at the new 17-acre, state-of-the-art, award-winning campus.

The Academy in Dhaka follows the highly successful models established by the Academies in Mombasa, Kenya, Hyderabad, India and Maputo, Mozambique.

Following the tour of the campus, Representative Merali, and High Commissioner Doraiswami discussed potential areas of collaboration to improve the quality of education and teaching in Bangladesh.

Areas discussed include facilitating Bangladeshis selected to train at the Academy in Hyderabad, India and the Indian High Commission offering to provide language, arts, and cultural programmes for the students at the Academy in Dhaka.

The High Commissioner also informed of a robust scholarship program sponsored by the High Commission that is available to all qualified Bangladeshi students who may wish to pursue higher education at some of the leading universities and educational institutes in India.

On behalf of AKDN, Representative Merali conveyed his appreciation for the support accorded by the Indian government and the relevant local State authorities to the Network’s activities in India and thanked the High Commissioner for gifting the sanitizing machines and reading books to the Academy.