AKDN Collaborates at the IB

AKDN is collaborating with the International Baccalaureate to present a pre-conference day titled Understanding Difference: Many Muslim Voices at the 2015 Africa, Europe and Middle East (AEM) Regional Conference, to be held in The Hague on Thursday, October 29. 

The IB Regional Conferences are the largest gatherings of IB educators. In 2014, 1,300 participants from 70 countries attended the AEM conference; the majority of attendees were administrators, curriculum co-ordinators and teachers working within the region. This year, for the first time, the conference will run in parallel with the Global Heads’ conference, bringing another 500 Heads of IB Schools to the venue. 

The pre-conference day will explore the diversity of Muslim cultures and civilisations and seek to close gaps in intercultural understanding. AKDN involvement will encompass contributions from Ruba Kanaan of the Aga Khan Museum and ‘Soriana’ and Fairouz Nishanova from the Aga Khan Music Initiative. Also speaking on the day will be Farid Panjwani of the Institute of Education, University College London (and formerly of the Institute for the Study of Muslim Cultures), Ian Jamieson from the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, and Safaruk Chowdhury from The King Fahad Academy, UK. The Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa will be represented on a discussion panel focussing on issues directly related to classroom practice. Soriana will play second recital later in the afternoon, which will be open to all delegates attending the pre-conference sessions. 

Beyond the pre-conference day, there will be a permanent AKDN presence within the conference displays, which will highlight the work of AKM and AKMI and showcase curriculum units from the Aga Khan Academies that draw on the work of these agencies. 

Examples of the curriculum development work can be found and downloaded here.