About the Academy
The Aga Khan Academy Dhaka is the fourth in the network of the Aga Khan Academies established by His Late Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV.
The Academy features state-of-the-art facilities, a multicultural student body and an experienced team of educators and staff. We provide students with education of the highest standard in order to prepare them for lives characterised by leadership and service.
Admission to the Academy is competitive and based on student merit.
Mission statement
The following is the mission statement of the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka:
"The Academy will identify and nurture exceptional young people from any background with the potential to become effective, ethical leaders. It will be a joyful community of lifelong, fearless learners who are culturally-rooted and internationally-minded. Academy graduates will be reflective, compassionate, adventurous and creative citizens empowered as stewards to make a positive contribution in a changing world."
A culture of excellence
As with all the Aga Khan Academies, we are committed to excellence in all aspects of education. This commitment includes the academic curriculum as well as the campus where students live and learn.
Our campus is architect designed and purpose-built. It features state-of-the-art classrooms and resource areas, and extensive sports facilities. These outstanding facilities provide an inspiring environment for both students and staff.
At the Academy, we strive to create a balance between academic demands, sports, cultural activities, and community life. We challenge our students to be intellectually inquisitive and socially conscious. We also encourage them to respect and appreciate other people’s cultures, social structures, values and beliefs.
A rigorous academic programme
The network of Aga Khan Academies has developed its academic programme in line with the widely-recognised International Baccalaureate.
Following in the footsteps of its sister schools in Mombasa, Hyderabad and Maputo, the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka is pursuing authorisation as an IB World School.
The programme is designed to challenge students of all backgrounds.
Our aims for our students include:
- promoting academic excellence
- enhancing analytical and study skills
- building leadership skills
- fostering an ethical outlook and sense of civic responsibility
- developing an understanding of local context and global issues
- encouraging creativity.
Experienced local and international teachers lead our programmes. Faculty members are up-to-date with the best educational practices. They are committed both to their students’ learning and to their own continuing professional development.
Sporting Activities
One of the goals of the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka is to create principled young people with a strong sense of integrity, honesty, fairness and justice, who respect the dignity of others.
Physical education, and competitive games and sports prepare our students for real-life situations, encouraging them to take leadership roles and allowing them to tackle challenges confidently and in a spirit of cooperation.
Inter-school sports
Both Junior and Senior School students have the opportunity to represent their school in various sports, such as swimming, basketball, cricket, hockey, football, and athletics.
Our teams train regularly during the week and cater to students of all ability levels.
Clubs
We offer a diverse selection of sporting activities for our students during after school clubs.
Clubs are currently offered in football, squash, basketball, cricket, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and yoga/gym.
The Academies Network
The Aga Khan Academy Dhaka is the fourth of a planned network of Aga Khan Academies being established in countries across Africa, South and Central Asia, and the Middle East.
The aim of the Academies is to develop future leaders with the skills and knowledge to support positive development in their societies. We achieve this by recruiting exceptional young people from all backgrounds and providing them with the highest international standard of education.
Selection is means-blind and competitive, based on student merit. Students of all backgrounds who satisfy the requirements for entry are encouraged to apply.
When complete, the network of Academies will form a global learning community of approximately 18 schools in 14 countries (map). They will eventually serve approximately 14,000 girls and boys of exceptional calibre, graduating 1,500 students annually.
For more information, visit our Academies network home page.
Job Opportunities
The Aga Khan Academy Dhaka is committed to hiring the best educators and staff from within the local community, nationally and internationally. We welcome your interest in working with us and invite you to explore the opportunities available.Here at the Academy, we recognise that the knowledge, skills and experience of our staff are a vital part of achieving our commitment to excellence. The Academy is strongly committed to continuing education for our faculty, and we provide regular opportunities for professional development.
We are also proud to offer an outstanding work environment with excellent facilities, and a unique and diverse school community.
Employment opportunities at the Academy are posted on the AKDN Career Centre. Listings are updated regularly, so be sure to check back often.
The Academies Network
The Aga Khan Academy Maputo is the third in the integrated network of Aga Khan Academies. The first Academy opened in Mombasa, Kenya in 2003, the second in Hyderabad, India in 2011 and the fourth in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2022
The aim of the Academies is to develop future leaders with the skills and knowledge to support positive development in their societies. We achieve this by recruiting exceptional young people from all backgrounds and providing them with the highest international standard of education.
Admission is means-blind and based on merit to ensure access for eligible students regardless of financial circumstances.
"...the Academies will be serious, focused, rigorous environments – but at the same time they will be spacious and joyous places. They will operate on the cutting edge of knowledge and pedagogy, but they will be rooted in history and steeped in tradition."
The network of Academies will form a global learning community, graduating 1,500 students annually.
For more information, visit our Academies network home page.
The Academies Network
The Aga Khan Academy Mombasa is the first in the integrated network of Aga Khan Academies. The second Academy opened in Hyderabad, India in 2011, the third in Maputo, Mozambique in 2013 and the fourth in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2022.
The aim of the Academies is to develop future leaders with the skills and knowledge to support positive development in their societies. We achieve this by recruiting exceptional young people from all backgrounds and providing them with the highest international standard of education.
Admission is competitive and based on student merit, regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Each Academy endeavours to meet the demonstrated financial need of each admitted student.
The network of Academies will form a global learning community, graduating 1,500 students annually.
For more information, visit our Academies network home page.
Academic Programme
The Aga Khan Academy Dhaka offers an education of an internationally recognised standard of excellence to prepare students to become intellectually curious, globally-minded citizens of the world.
The Academy programme develops students who are committed to positive change and are able to understand and analyse complex issues of local, national and global significance.
Our curriculum is rigorous and multidisciplinary, fostering:
- intellectual curiosity
- creativity
- leadership development
- social consciousness
- a pluralistic sensibility.
We prepare students for admission to the best universities in their own countries and abroad.
Our focus is on developing students' critical thinking skills and the ability to analyse issues. We also emphasise multicultural understanding and awareness. One of the ways in which we help our students develop skills for ethical leadership is through the Aga Khan Curricular Strands. These are cross-disciplinary areas of study that have been developed for the network of Aga Khan Academies.
Overall educational programme
Our curriculum is complemented by enrichment, athletic and community service initiatives. The overall educational programme is designed to educate well-rounded, civic-minded individuals. It enhances students’ academic excellence, leadership skills, sense of civic responsibility, understanding of global issues, and analytical and study skills. The programme also reinforces an understanding of local languages, history, cultures and environment.
When they graduate from the Academy, students are expected to be computer literate and have a thorough understanding of a diverse range of academic disciplines. They should have mastered at least two languages, including English. Through the planned international exchange programme, our students will be able to enhance their foreign language learning and appreciation of other cultures.
Our graduates are thus well prepared for the rigours of higher education and to pursue opportunities in an increasingly interdependent world.
For further information on the programmes offered at the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka, please visit the following pages:
- Primary Years Programme (Grades 1–5)
- Middle Years Programme (Grades 6–10)
- Diploma Programme (Grades 11–12).
University Counselling
The Aga Khan Academy Dhaka’s counselling programme offers students a vast array of resources designed to help them find good matches between themselves and universities/colleges. These resources include a dynamic and well-resourced college counsellor, a wealth of printed, video and online tools, and a series of informational workshops and seminars on topics central to the college discovery process.
Our counsellors engage students in individual conferences designed to help students reach a greater awareness of who they are. Armed with a well-articulated sense of self, students are prepared to find universities or colleges that are the best fit. Ours is a student-centred approach, and we believe that the likelihood of satisfaction with their choices is enhanced when students are empowered to 'own' the process. Also key to success is good communication among all parties: students, parents and college counsellors. While outcomes are important, it is the process of self-discovery and college discovery on which our programme focuses. For information, reach out to our University Counsellor, Ms Nusrat Sharmin at nusrat.sharmin@agakhanacademies.org.
Click here to find the 2024-25 school profile.
Click here to download a copy of the latest handbook.
The Academies Network
The Aga Khan Academy Dhaka is the fourth in a network of Aga Khan Academies across East Africa and South Asia. The first Academy opened in Mombasa, Kenya in 2003, the second in Hyderabad, India in 2011 and the third in Maputo, Mozambique in 2013.
The aim of the Academies is to develop future leaders with the skills and knowledge to support positive development in their societies. We achieve this by recruiting exceptional young people from all backgrounds and providing them with the highest international standard of education.
Admission is competitive and based on student merit, regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Each Academy endeavours to meet the demonstrated financial need of each admitted student.
The network of Academies will form a global learning community, graduating 1,500 students annually.
For more information, visit our Academies network home page.
Living on Campus
Residential life at the Academy complements and extends the academic experience. Our residential programme includes a broad selection of activities and leadership opportunities to enhance students’ learning and growth. The Academy in Dhaka will offer a residential programme soon.
The Academy’s residences will include facilities to accommodate both students and teachers. Our residences will house boarding students requiring accommodation as well as those participating in international exchanges between the Aga Khan Academy Dhaka and other Academies and schools.
Teachers' quarters on campus will house both resident and visiting faculty.
Learning beyond the classroom
Our residential programme is about the learning and growth that comes through constant interaction with a diverse and talented group of teachers and peers.
Mealtimes and other gatherings will provide our residential students with opportunities for informal interaction as well as for discussions, meetings, language tables and study groups.
The focus of the residential experience is on students’ intellectual, social, spiritual and physical growth in a structured and ethical environment. Many of the least tangible but most important elements of an education – the development of practical leadership skills, the capacity to make ethical judgments, the ability to navigate through complex cultural settings – are formed outside the classroom.
The safe and secure environment of the Academy’s boarding facilities will give students of all backgrounds the opportunity to thrive emotionally, intellectually and physically.
