The Aga Khan Academies are a network of residential schools in Africa, South and Central Asia and the Middle East. Founded by His Highness the Aga Khan, the academies are part of the Aga Khan Development Network.
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Aga Khan Academies in operation:

• Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa
  Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa
  The Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa is part of a network of schools, called Aga Khan Academies.The Academy offers an education with an emphasis on the humanities...
  
  
• Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad
  Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad
  Aga Khan Academy, Hyderabad is a non-denominational, coeducational day and residential school for students from pre-primary to secondary levels. Located in the Ranga Reddy district of Hyderabad, India, the Academy is dedicated to an international level of excellence in all facets of education...
  
   (India
  India
  India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
  
  )

Academies under development:

• Aga Khan Academy, Amadaro
• Aga Khan Academy, Antananarivo
• Aga Khan Academy, Bamako
• Aga Khan Academy, Damascus
• Aga Khan Academy, Dar es Salaam
• Aga Khan Academy, Dhaka
• Aga Khan Academy, Dushanbe
• Aga Khan Academy, Kabul
• Aga Khan Academy, Kampala
• Aga Khan Academy, Karachi
• Aga Khan Academy, Khorog
• Aga Khan Academy, Kinshasa
• Aga Khan Academy, Maputo
• Aga Khan Academy, Mumbai
• Aga Khan Academy, Osh
• Aga Khan Academy, Salamieh

History

The Aga Khan Academies are a network of residential schools for talented students spanning from Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

 and the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

, to South

South Asia

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...

 and Central Asia

Central Asia

Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...

. Their mandate is “expanding access to education of an international standard of excellence” for pre-primary to secondary school students. The academies form part of an educational network organized by the Aga Khan Education Services

Aga Khan Education Services

Aga Khan Education Services is one of four agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network supporting activities in the field of education...

 (AKES), an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network

Aga Khan Development Network

The Aga Khan Development Network is a group of private, non-denominational development agencies that seek to empower communities and individuals to improve living conditions and opportunities, in sub-Saharan Africa, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East...

 (AKDN) founded by His Highness the Aga Khan

Aga Khan IV

Prince Karim, Aga Khan IV, NPk, NI, KBE, CC, GCC, GCIH, GCM is the 49th and current Imam of the Shia Imami Nizari Ismaili Muslims. He has held this position under the title of Aga Khan since July 11, 1957, when, at the age of 20, he succeeded his grandfather, Sultan Mahomed Shah Aga Khan...

. The commitment to education and learning by the Aga Khan and his grandfather

Aga Khan III

Sir Sultan Muhammed Shah, Aga Khan III, GCSI, GCMG, GCIE, GCVO, PC was the 48th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims. He was one of the founders and the first president of the All-India Muslim League, and served as President of the League of Nations from 1937-38. He was nominated to represent India to...

 have found expression in many forms — one of which is the Aga Khan Academies, of which nineteen are functional or under development.

The first academy opened its doors in Mombasa

Mombasa

Mombasa is the second-largest city in Kenya. Lying next to the Indian Ocean, it has a major port and an international airport. The city also serves as the centre of the coastal tourism industry....

, Kenya

Kenya

Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...

, in August 2003. As of July 2007, two academies were in operation, one in Mombasa and the other in Nairobi

Nairobi

Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...

, Kenya. In June 2004, March 2005, and September 2006 there were foundation-stone laying ceremonies in Maputo, Mozambique

Mozambique

Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...

; Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam

Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...

, Tanzania

Tanzania

The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...

; and Hyderabad, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 respectively to commemorate the building of new academies. The network will extend to South and Central Asia and eventually to Salamiyya

Salamiyah

thumb|200px|A full view of Shmemis .Salamiyah is a city and district in western Syria, in the Hama Governorate. It is located 33 km southeast of Hama, 45 km northeast of Homs...

 and Damascus

Damascus

Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...

, in Syria

Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

. Planning has begun for an academy in Dhaka

Dhaka

Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...

, Bangladesh

Bangladesh

Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...

  and the municipality of Amadora

Amadora

Amadora is a city and a municipality in Portugal, in the northwest of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. The city and municipality population is 175,872 in eleven freguesias . With an area of 23.77 km², it is the most densely populated municipality of Portugal...

 in Portugal

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

  while many others are being planned — from Bamako

Bamako

Bamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...

 in Mali

Mali

Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...

, West Africa

West Africa

West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...

 to Kabul

Kabul

Kabul , spelt Caubul in some classic literatures, is the capital and largest city of Afghanistan. It is also the capital of the Kabul Province, located in the eastern section of Afghanistan...

 in Afghanistan

Afghanistan

Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

. It is envisioned that by 2016, the first ten academies will be in operation.

Curriculum

The Aga Khan Academies have adopted the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme curriculum because of its multifaceted educational approach and its recognition by leading universities around the world. The curriculum is divided into the Primary Years Programme (ages 3–11), the Middle Years Programme (ages 11–16), and the Diploma Programme (ages 16–19). The academies offer an emphasis on the humanities, with languages in particular; every student must acquire proficiency in a foreign language other than English, which is the language of instruction. Students are given an opportunity to explore the arts: music, visual arts and dance, philosophy, foreign cultures and comparative religion. This is coupled with the general sciences, social sciences, economics, history, and literature as well as computer and information technologies.

Extracurricular activities include clubs and sports. They are required to contribute to the community as part of their extracurricular activities and as the IB Programme stipulates. An example of a community-oriented initiative in which the students partook was ‘World Animal Week’ sponsored by the World Society for the Protection of Animals

World Society for the Protection of Animals

The World Society for the Protection of Animals is an international non-profit animal welfare organization and also a federation of such organisations and active in over 150 countries with more than 1000 member societies.- Organization :...

 in March, 2006 at the Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa.

With the expansion of the Academy network, it will be possible for teachers and students to go on exchanges with their counterparts in foreign countries. This is due in part to the standardised use of the IB curriculum; all schools teach the same course subject material. Therefore, students will be able to continue their studies abroad without compromising the content of their education.

Admissions

Each academy will enroll approximately 700 to 1,200 young men and women. Admission to the academies is based on merit and is needs-blind: selection is not based on the students' ability to pay but on the personal strengths of the individual who has applied. Students will be actively recruited as “matriculation for these schools must go beyond passive selection and include an active outreach effort.”

Faculty

Faculty must have a Bachelor’s degree and five years of teaching experience. Recruited faculty members are given the option to improve their skills through the Professional Development Centres (PDC) which will be located at each academy. The PDCs will offer courses in pedagogy that will not only be offered to teachers of the academy but also to the faculty of other private and public schools. Teachers will be expected to participate in international exchanges with other academies. The exchanges will also give teachers an opportunity to internalise and "foster cross-cultural understanding," as this is an important aspect of the Aga Khan Academies.

Architecture

“Each campus is to be designed by renowned architects” and is equipped with facilities such as theatres, libraries, laboratories, and cafeterias.

• The academies feature on-campus sporting facilities, including a swimming pool, a field for outdoor games and a gymnasium for indoor sports. Campuses may also include tennis courts, cricket pitches, and ice-skating rinks.

• The residential facilities accommodate students and teachers — both visiting and resident.

• Professional Development Centres are located on the campus.

The size of the campus will vary from one academy to another. For example, the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa, Kenya, inspired by Swahili architecture, rests on a 7.3 hectare parcel of land whereas the academy underway in Hyderabad will have a 40 hectare plot. The Hyderabad Academy campus is being designed by India’s HCP Design and Project and Management Private Limited under the directorship of Bimal Patel.

Partnerships

In addition to belonging to the Aga Khan Development Network and working with the Aga Khan Education Services, the academies are part of the International Academic Partnership (IAP). The IAP is an international joint venture that was conceived in 1990 and came into being in 1993. It includes such institutions as Phillips Academy

Phillips Academy

Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...

 in Andover

Andover, Massachusetts

Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Schule Schloss

Schule Schloss Salem

Schule Schloss Salem is a boarding school with campuses in Hohenfels, Salem and Überlingen in Baden-Württemberg, Southern Germany. It is considered one of the most elite schools in Europe.It offers the German Abitur, as well as the International Baccalaureate...

 in Salem, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and the Institute for Educational Development at the Aga Khan University

Aga Khan University

The Aga Khan University is a coeducational research university spread over three continents. It was granted its charter in 1983 as Pakistan's first private, autonomous university. AKU was founded by His Highness the Aga Khan, and is part of the Aga Khan Development Network...

. The partnership has brought together over 400 schools from South Asia, East Africa and the United States, and over 500 teachers.

The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University

Harvard University

Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...

 and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...

, the University of Central Asia

University of Central Asia

The University of Central Asia was founded in 2000 by the governments of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, and His Highness the Aga Khan...

, the Aga Khan University, the University of Calgary

University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...

, the University of Toronto

University of Toronto

The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...

, and Oxford University are providing resources to the academies and their development. Other partnerships are national governments such as that of India which donated 40 hectares of land in the southern Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...

state for the Hyderabad Academy.