Year One Open House 2018
Tanish Panjwani (Class of 2019) - advocating scientific solutions for a better world
Tanish Panjwani is an alumnus of the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad's Class of 2019 and is determined to follow a path he will carve independently, “off the beaten track.” He attributes this fierce individuality to the opportunities he has been presented with in school.
"The Academy has pushed me to boundaries and spaces which I never imagined being in,” he expressed. “It has taught me many important life lessons which I wish to take with me as I move towards university. One of these is to always try something new. It gave me so many opportunities to explore my passions for which I am eternally thankful."
Tanish was one of the three student organisers of Academy in Hyderabad’s pioneering TEDx conference, which took place in May 2018.
“TEDxYouth@AKAHyderabad began as a revolution of ideas that inspired me to dream big and accomplish more. I wanted the students in the Academy to dream and imagine with the same ferocity, and come up with ideas that not only solve global problems but also inspire. This was my motivation behind organising such a conference here.”
Additionally, he held key leadership positions in the Academy’s Model UN conferences, played in the Senior School football team and was a chief editor of the student newsletter.
However Tanish’s passion lies in the realm of physics, believing in the power of scientific solutions to address current global issues.
“A better understanding of our surroundings helps us gain a better understanding of ourselves," he said. "The biggest breakthroughs have come from principles based on physics – smartphones and normal appliances are built on the foundations of quantum tunneling. Not understanding physics hinders us from truly understanding the world around us.”
For his Grade 10 personal project, Tanish focused on the importance of a future free of climate change and pollution. He used an old television to make a cathode ray tube (CRT) that disintegrated plastic and created something new in its place. He draws inspiration from his physics teacher Sudipta Roy.
“He teaches with such great passion and his zestful energy lights up my mood inspiring me to study even the most boring (and difficult) topics.”
Tanish was accepted into University College London and the University of Glasgow to study pure physics, and intends to make connections in the fields that interest him. He wants to get involved in actively educating people about the possibilities of approaching everyday problems through the lens of science, by utilising concepts learnt within classrooms to bring small changes in their immediate environments, leading to big changes in a bigger context.
Contributed by Saheb Lakhani (Class of 2014).
Aashish Dhammani (Class of 2015): Student into teacher
Interning under the Dean of Students, Aaron Jacob, my internship focused on academic support for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme students in history and theory of knowledge. Additionally, I was also a dorm parent trying to balance a variety of academic and personal issues in student life. In the process, I have developed skills of time management, communicating in a working environment, organisation and resilience under pressure. I was also involved in facilitation of the Hyderabad yearbook 2016, interaction with visitors, assisting in the making of the first IB Middle Years Programme film and various Senior School events. The biggest challenge for me was to draw a fine line in situations between being a senior and a teacher for students. I have learnt that as a teacher, one has to make hard choices, choices that change attitudes, opinions and relationships. I had to make hard choices too. Being a dorm parent I had to be firm in order that students acknowledged and appreciated the efforts put in towards student life in the residences.
In my time here, I have grown to value the time, energy and knowledge that goes into the profession of teaching, which unfortunately is not widely respected across our Indian subcontinent. I also realised that as a teacher, you work equally as hard as any student in your class. In the future, my goal will also be to change the stereotypical image of a profession which is as challenging, enriching and rejuvenating as any other valuable profession. Teaching is reliving every day and growing individually.
The Academy is an environment that challenges and nurtures leaders that are fearless, courageous and stewards. I have always envisioned growing up to be one myself. After this internship I am confident that my dream isn’t too far removed. I will continue to motivate myself to grow, beat the odds, acknowledge diversity and tap into the unfathomable.
I am ready to take on another journey from oblivion to self-discovery!
By Aashish Dhammani
Celebrating Our 8th Graduation
Congratulations to our Ontario Scholarship winners!
Fiona Makena Kinyua: A transformed educator
“I was elated,” she says. “There were twenty graduates who made it to the final phase. I was one of them. It made me very happy because the TPP programme is very competitive.”
TPP, a multi-phase programme, was designed by the Academies to train outstanding graduates from public universities to teach one or more of the International Baccalaureate Programs (IB) schools. The initial component of the three-part programme, Choosing to Teach Institute was launched in Mombasa in 2013. This was followed by the other two components: Learning to Teach Internship and Teaching to Learn Residency. Today, the Programme is taught in all three academies.
The aim of TPP is to train teachers to become transformative educators in their communities with the vision, as the programme states, “to provide exceptionally talented and highly motivated Academies students with a rigorous academic and leadership-development experience.” The skills the trainees gain from completing any component of the programme are considered highly valuable, thus raising academic standards in the schools in which they teach.
Armed with a Bachelor’s degree in Education Science, Fiona completed the TPP training in June 2019, and currently teaches mathematics and chemistry at the Naisula School, Kajiado County in Kenya. Highly motivated and ambitious for her young students, Fiona says it is her training with TPP that drove her to change her education approach. Her instruction is now entirely student- centered, she states proudly. She has whole-heartedly embraced inquiry-based instruction to engage her students and uses the education concept of differentiation to tailor her lessons to meet individual needs.
Fiona Makena Kinyua with TPP Coordinator Tom Abuto“I thank the TPP fraternity for the opportunity to train as an International Baccalaureate teacher. My teaching methods have changed. I remember initially I had a challenge in facilitating an inquiry-based lesson. I am now happy that I do that with ease. I differentiate and engage students. I now reflect and ask students for feedback. I am open and welcoming to colleagues coming to my classes and giving me feedback.”
This capacity-building endevour to improve the quality of education in local schools is clearly stated in the TPP mission statement which reads: “TPP seeks to develop teachers who are talented individuals with high professional expectations and aspirations; are creative and committed to their own life-long learning and self-improvement; and have a strong professional identity grounded in a well-articulated philosophy of teaching.”
The TPP’s curriculum makes a fundamental shift-from a focus on teaching to a focus on learning. It is designed to help teachers internalise the IB education philosophy.
“The TPP story is rich,” states curriculum coordinator, Tom Abuto, radiating pride and ambition for his students. He is quick to emphasise that only the topmost candidates are recruited into the rigorous and competitive full 18-month programme.
Fiona Makena KinyuaTPP is a model for a growing number of educators who believe that the programme is a much-needed engine for social change. The TPP is offered in partnership with University of British Columbia which provides programme quality assurance and external assessment of participants’ work.
TPP is also the first school-based programme to be recognised by the IB Educator Certificate in Teaching and Learning and the only such programme on the African continent. In addition, the programme is currently seeking recognition from the Cambridge International Examinations under their scheme of Professional Development Qualifications. It is also working towards recognition from the Kenyan Teacher Service Commission.
TPP educators believe that the programme’s distinctive curriculum has the power to train teacher-leaders to motivate students to become agents of social change in their communities. The programme endeavors to produce teachers who are reflective, purposeful and committed to life-long learning.
Fiona feels the skills she has acquired through her training with TPP have transformed her for life. They have completely altered her beliefs and thinking. “My students are now more engaged and enthusiastic. Through differentiation I am also able to be equally inclusive to all students of differing capabilities.”
AKA Maputo Residential Programme
See some architectural drawings of the new residential campus along with some photos from our other Academies' residential programmes
Inaara Sarfani (Class of 2016): Valuing personal development
The time I spent at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad helped me become the person I am today. The Academy served as a platform for me to develop my self-expression, confidence, balance, service and reflective ability. The Academy provided a prestigious curriculum through the International Baccalaureate (IB) which exposed me to a unique style of education that equally emphasised academics and extracurriculars. Through teamwork, both in classes and service projects, I built collaboration as well as communication skills. To be honest, there is nothing that has not helped me adapt to university life from the time I spent at the Academy and I identify the most with the ability to reflect.
Prior to joining the Academy, I was an introvert who kept to herself and preferred the company of people I knew. Studying at the Academy was first step out of my comfort zone, as I had to make new friends with the people I would share my classes with for the upcoming four years before graduation and university. For a person as shy as I was, it sounded terrifying but I was willing to take risks to receive quality education and learn skills that would help me in the future. Apart from the rigorous academics that kept students on their toes, the service projects and athletic events fostered a close relationship between students. I was a part of the service project that went to a government school for girls (Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya) and undertook the responsibility to improve their conversation skills in English along with imparting news of global events among them. Working with classmates, devising plans, organising meetings and keeping track of the students’ progress were some of the tasks that helped me understand my classmates further as we worked together to create positive changes in people’s lives. In this endeavour, tracking the progress of these students foreshadowed the importance evaluation and reflection would have in my life.
There was also a part of me that wanted to achieve something valuable; to me, this meant two things: true recognition and establishing relationships I would continue in the future. I was fortunate to achieve both of these by being a part of the Academy. I received recognition for my hard work and the faith my teachers, my career advisor and my parents put in me was rewarded when I received the Ontario Tuition Waiver. I have developed a close communication network with people I met at the Academy.
I integrated the qualities I learnt at the Academy into university life by participating in various extracurriculars. I have volunteered at the women’s centre who provide a supportive atmosphere to people regardless of their gender and currently a member of the Marketing Advisory Board and Residence Promotion Team for on-campus residences. Being a part of these teams required me to communicate effectively as well as form good relationships with my teammates; skills that I learnt at the Academy, proving useful.
I am currently planning to minor in human resource management and explore this field along with psychology. I plan to be open to experiences that will come along the way. Looking back on my time spent at the Academy, I cherish the small yet meaningful moments, such as going for service projects with friends and engaging history classes. I can see the introvert girl trying to fit in with a group of equally new students starting their first day at the Academy; I also see that same girl receiving the scholarship and realising the potential she always had. The transition to university would not have been easy if it were not for the time I spent at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.
By Inaara Sarfani
Tanaz Hudda (Class of 2016): Poster girl for University of Victoria
Another lesson that is helping her through university came from one of her Academy teachers. "My teachers were my support system throughout my time at the Academy. One of my favourite teachers who pushed me harder and harder whenever I would perform well or sometimes not so well was Dr. Karuna Arya. I think she instilled this idea in me that one can always do better, even if it appears that you are the best at it. I genuinely cannot forget that lesson as it has helped me so much in the past few months at university." Tanaz also relied on the Academy's staff for help with university choices. "Choosing the kind of university that would suit you the best is always difficult. I had many questions and I had no clue where I would rather go as all universities seemed appealing. For me, the two things that mattered most was affordability and coop opportunities in the field of humanities. I was able to narrow down the list with the help of our University Counsellor, Ms. Pragati, and that made a huge impact on my university choice."
Even though Tanaz has found that Canada can offer her the best career opportunities she believes that giving back to her country and settling down in India is more important. "That connection is what motivates me to study harder and then settle in India to contribute to the greater good of the place I come from. The Academy taught me to strive for excellence, work for the community and be involved in as many extra-curricular activities as possible, as well as never forget where you come from. Giving back to the society has been my goal ever since I joined the Academy and would definitely influence my plans for the future." While at the Academy Tanaz volunteered at a local residential school and helped organise different events for the children there. This and other service projects, such as her volunteering in Nairobi, has convinced Tanaz of the importance of education for India's future, especially in rural schools.
Not only is it important for students to have an education but she also stresses the importance of a 'proper' education. "I have visited many local schools which have neither resources nor adequate training to teach kids what they are supposed to learn. I feel that education is the only chance we have to transform how the nation thinks and that needs to be instilled in rural areas, because India lives in its villages. No education and most of all, improper education could be dangerous in creating false knowledge and sometimes continuing the social evils that exist in a society. Hence, I would focus on making the education system better."
Science experiments in our MYP class
