Third Graduation of IB DP Grade 12 Students From the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad

On Saturday, 21 May 2016, 52 students graduated from the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad as the third cohort of alumni. Our ceremony was digitally integrated with our sister school in Mombasa. Simultaneously 68 graduates emerged from the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa in a 10-year celebration of our first Academy, honoured by the First Lady of Kenya, Her Excellency Margaret Kenyatta. Our Director of Academies, Mr. Salim Bhatia, streamed his Annual Academies Address live to our Hyderabad students, parents, staff and guests of honour.

The 2016 Hyderabad graduation chief guest, Mr. Pranshu Singhal, Director of Digital Learning Initiative for Microsoft Worldwide, is currently involved in digital transformation across the Indian school system and addressed the students as to the importance of flexibility, creativity and perseverance in the face of the accelerating rate of change and new job creation that is happening globally across the workplace. He stressed the importance of knowing oneself, the value of authenticity in leadership and defining oneself in terms of commitment to a life-long purpose.

We are proud of our 2016 graduates' achievements in university placements. This year our university scholarships have already exceeded USD 3 million. This cohort has received over 200 placement offers from 5 countries – Canada (83%); US (12%); UK, Italy, our first to Australia and India (5%) This list includes 26 universities in the Global Top 400 ARWU Shanghai Index rankings. Some of Canada’s highest ranked universities –Toronto (1), UBC (2), McMaster (4), SFU, UVIC, Waterloo (7-16) – were joined this year by US ranked universities of Illinois (21), Texas (27) and California (multiple campuses, 12-35), Washington Seattle (13) and UK’s University College London (3), all in the Shanghai index top 100, featuring highly this year in our students’ sights.

Our top achiever, Indira Bulhan, has received a full scholarship, tuition and accommodation, to read Astrophysics at the University of Victoria, Canada. Additionally 5 students are the recipients of the first Ontario Government full tuition scholarships as part of a privileged agreement between our founder, His Highness the Aga Khan, and Premier Wynne of Ontario, who paid an official visit to the Academy in Hyderabad earlier this year.

The Academy in Hyderabad is the second in a global network of Aga Khan Academies being established across Africa, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia. We opened in 2011 with 72 Junior School students. Today we have 580 students from 10 nationalities; 275 are residential from grade 7 and a Junior School of 130 spanning grades 1–6. Crèche provision is available on request.

View a video of the address by the chief guest, Mr. Pranshu Singhal, Director of Digital Learning Initiative for Microsoft Worldwide.