Living on Campus
Residential life at the Academy complements and extends the academic experience. The residential programme includes a broad selection of activities and leadership opportunities to enhance students’ learning and growth.
Our residential programme launched in April 2019, allowing students from across Mozambique to study at the Academy. Student residences are designed to accommodate students and dorm parents – teachers that have been chosen carefully and trained to live in the faculty apartments and student residences.
Up to four students share a room. The rooms are spacious with high ceilings and large windows. Facilities include a student lounge with IT facilities, wifi and a large-screen television along with laundry facilities.
The Commons building, when completed, will house the dining hall and an array of spaces for school activities. It will be the hub of student activity and serves as the main space for major school functions including music and drama performances and public lectures.
A photo gallery of the Aga Khan Academy Maputo Campus is available here »
Learning beyond the classroom
The culture of the Academy is based on respect, integrity, honesty, fairness, empathy and good humour. Our students, teachers and administrative staff create and sustain this positive learning environment.
The experience of our pluralistic learning community is especially rich for students in residence given the constant interactions among students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds.
The focus of the residential programme is on students’ intellectual, social, spiritual and physical growth in a structured and ethical environment. In the words of Aziz Batada, Head of the Residential Programme and Dean of Students at AKA Maputo, “The residential experience allows the typical school day – where the vision of the Aga Khan Academy is continuously being lived – to be extended, and education itself is seen as a part of every moment of an individual's life.”
AKA Hyderabad students experience Mombasa
Aga Khan Curricular Strands
The Aga Khan Curricular Strands (AK Strands) are a unique part of the programme offered by the Aga Khan Academies. The AK Strands are areas of learning aimed specifically at developing knowledge, skills and attitudes required by future leaders.
Our goal at the Academies is to develop young people who have strong local roots and are also globally minded. They should be able to become leaders in whichever fields they choose.
To help achieve this goal, we have identified five areas of learning, the Aga Khan Curricular Strands, that we believe are important for our students. These are:
- Ethics
- Pluralism
- Cultures (with an emphasis on Muslim civilisations)
- Governance and Civil Society
- Economics for Development.
Implementing the AK Strands
The Aga Khan Curricular Strands are not taught as independent subjects. Instead, we weave them into the existing subject areas of the academic curriculum. They help inform the selection of content and themes for study. The AK Strands also provide direction for school life outside the classroom in areas such as policy making, recruitment, student life and residential life.
Two of the AK Strands, Ethics and Pluralism, help students develop values and dispositions required by ethical leaders. Our students learn about these areas in theory and are also encouraged to practice what they learn in their everyday lives.
Through the other three AK Strands, our students learn about ideas that are important to the functioning of societies. In particular, they learn about how these ideas impact people’s lives in countries of the developing world. The knowledge they gain helps them understand key issues from both local and international perspectives.
The AK Strands in practice
The Aga Khan Curricular Strands were developed at the first Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa and are designed to be used in different cultural contexts. Teachers at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad helped tailor the AK Strands for the local environment in India.
For example, grade 3 students worked on a history and geography unit about Hyderabad that related to Economics for Development. The students examined how the physical features of the area influenced the city and its economic activity. They learned about employment today and also looked at traditional forms of work, including a visit to a nearby weaving cooperative. This unit helped the students understand both general ideas about economics and their impact on daily life in Hyderabad.
Through the Aga Khan Curricular Strands, our students develop attitudes and values that will help them throughout their lives. They also gain knowledge and understanding that will allow them to contribute positively to their societies in the future.
For more information on the educational programme offered at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, please visit the Academic Programme page.
Fostering relationships through virtual exchange
Academic Programme
The Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad 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 built on the framework of the International Baccalaureate (IB). The IB is a thorough, multidisciplinary curriculum that fosters:
- intellectual curiosity
- creativity
- leadership development
- social consciousness
- a pluralistic sensibility.
The IB is also known for preparing 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 the diverse academic disciplines covered in the IB curriculum. 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 IB programmes offered at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad, please visit the following pages:
- Primary Years Programme (grades 1–5)
- Middle Years Programme (grades 6–10)
- Diploma Programme (grades 11–12).
Register for assessments
The Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, a programme of the Aga Khan Development, is the first in a global network of 18 planned Academies.
We select a diverse group of students with exceptional academic and leadership potential, offering financial assistance where needed. We offer them a world-class International Baccalaureate (IB) education on a residential campus with outstanding facilities, preparing them to make a positive contribution to society.
Through our inquiry-based approach to learning, students develop independent and collaborative learning skills, problem-solving and critical thinking. We also ensure that students develop their gifts and talents through a wide range of sports, arts and cultural activities, nurturing the holistic development of each child. Our teachers are highly qualified, experienced and committed to their ongoing professional development.
Register below for an assessment in Nairobi on 28 November
Admissions
The network of Aga Khan Academies has been established to provide exceptional students from all backgrounds with an outstanding education. Admissions are currently being accepted for the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes in both Mombasa and Hyderabad and for the Primary Years Programme in Maputo.
The Academy seeks students from pre-primary through higher secondary levels representing a diverse range of economic, cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. Students should have the ability and motivation to excel academically and should demonstrate leadership in community service and other co-curricular pursuits.
Selection is means-blind and competitive, based on student merit.
The Academy endeavours to meet the demonstrated financial need of each admitted student.
Candidate characteristics
The admissions committee evaluates candidates based on a range of measures and selects those demonstrating a high level of motivation and commitment to learning, a strong sense of integrity and respect for others from diverse backgrounds.
Successful applicants typically demonstrate the following characteristics:
"The students at this institution will be distinguished not only for their academic capacity, but for their character and commitment to citizenship."
- a record of outstanding academic achievement or potential
- highly motivated and intellectually curious
- a strong sense of integrity – the capacity to judge right and wrong and to stand up for one’s principles
- a high level of social awareness, including openness and sensitivity to those of different backgrounds
- the desire to work towards, and instigate, positive change
- leadership in community service, student government and/or sporting activities
- notable accomplishments in the visual or performing arts.
Please visit the websites of the individual Academies for further information and application forms.
Laura Brandão: Building the AKA Maputo campus from the ground up
Laura, who is originally from Portugal and a civil engineer by trade, joined the AKA Maputo in July 2017. She began her involvement with the Academy’s construction project in 2012 as the general manager of an outsourced project management company.
“It’s interesting because, as the general manager of my former company, I was involved since the inception of the Academy as I was appointed to the project management of the AKA Maputo’s first phase, which is the phase that represents the opening of the Academy’s Early Years Centre,” Laura said. “In this way, I have been involved since the very beginning of the Academy’s construction, and this has equipped me with both an internal and external perspective of the Academy.”
Laura attained her undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, Portugal. She then moved to Leuven, Belgium in pursuit of a Master’s qualification in the conservation of historic towns and buildings at the Katholieke Universiteit.
Upon the completion of her master’s degree, Laura returned to Portugal where she jump-started her career in project management. “I started my career in an area that slightly differed from my master’s qualification,” she said. “This is because, at the time, Portugal was not very focused on the restoration of historical buildings and monuments. So, I started my career in project management.”
The company Laura worked for at the time later invited her to join their newly-launched branch in Mozambique. She arrived in Mozambique in September 2010 and worked for this company until 2017 as a general project manager, where she did a lot of project management work in Mozambique.
In 2017, the company decided to cease their activity in Mozambique but Laura wanted to remain in the country. Every cloud has a silver lining, as it was at this time that Laura received an invitation to join the AKA Maputo as the Academy’s senior project manager and client representative.
"A reputable team of international and local architects and engineers have designed the Academy to be in line with Aga Khan Development Network’s pursuit of excellence in both the physical facilities, as well as the quality of education intended to be imparted at the finished facility,” Laura said. “I am glad I was selected to execute this team's vision for the AKA Maputo."
Praising the overall mission and vision of the Aga Khan Academies, Laura places great emphasis on the important role that the AKA Maputo plays in the betterment of the Mozambican educational sector and, ultimately, in the Mozambican society.
“This is an exceptional project because of its concept, dimension, challenge to have been built in Mozambique and, on top of all, the purpose that it develops,” Laura said. “The mission of educating and developing students to become highly qualified and socially responsible professionals and leaders, which Mozambique needs to support its socio-economic development, is what makes it an absolute honour to have been chosen to lead this project. It is an emblematic project.”
With the AKA Maputo’s significantly diverse student and staff population, Laura has found engaging with multinational colleagues to be interesting and positively challenging. She gained a thorough understanding of how the Academy’s leadership team perceives the Academy and has applied this to the construction of the campus.
“Sometimes it can be challenging because each individual has their own ideas, and sometimes it can be difficult to incorporate all of these ideas in the project development,” Laura said. “But, overall, I think my colleagues are satisfied with my work as we always try to include all of their ideas within our budget. Ultimately, the buildings are for them, for the teachers, staff members and, on top of all, for the students.”
However, the biggest challenge Laura faced was the Academy’s construction since international lockdowns eased due to COVID-19. Reflecting back, Laura said she and her team had to ensure the pandemic did not severely impact the development of the AKA Maputo. This required strong team collaboration, dedication and mutual support.
“Post-COVID-19 on a global level, particularly in terms of material costs, import costs and the lack of transportation, was quite difficult to digest and it was a fight,” Laura said. “Nevertheless, the fact that we did not have a single positive case during the pandemic is very rewarding. And although I am leading the project, it has been a great team effort.
“I have received a lot of support from my director in Geneva and I think, all together, we are very successful. And when I say we are a team, I don’t only mean the construction team – design team, project management team, contractors and project colleagues – but I mean the Academy in its entirety as led by the Head of Academy, who closely collaborated with me to bridge the gap between construction and school.”
“The Academy was planned in phases to allow for the school to grow during construction, and the manner in which the academic team always understood the "conflicts" between construction and the normal school life were fantastic. So from the leadership team, right down to each and every colleague, we are all a team and should be very happy at the results that we have achieved amidst these uncertain times.”
Reflecting on the various beautiful spaces and facilities at the AKA Maputo, Laura says it’s rather difficult to choose only one building as her favourite. But, aside from the Court of Palms – an area on campus that has 24 Royal palms standing tall and proud – one of her favourite spaces at the Academy is the Moyo, which means heart in Swahili. The Moyo is the Academy’s amphitheatre where whole school assemblies and other fun events are hosted.
“For me, each building in the Academy has its own story and they are all very dear to me,” she said. “But I think that the Moyo is, in fact, the heart of the Academy, and the contrast of the Moyo against the rest of the buildings at the Academy is the most emblematic area in my eyes.”
Being directly involved in the development of the AKA Maputo from the start, Laura has observed how the rapid growth of the Academy has positively impacted the students and staff, alike. “It has been very gratifying to witness the joy of the students and all of the school staff,” Laura said. “They are amazed at the level of facilities that are being provided at the Academy. I have no doubt in mind that the Aga Khan Academy Maputo is the school with the highest quality infrastructures in the country.”
International Baccalaureate
The academic programme at the Aga Khan Academies was developed following the principles of the International Baccalaureate (IB), a world-class educational programme that emphasises rigorous, consistent schooling aligned to international standards. As a result, the Academies' Learner Profile exemplifies students and faculty that are open-minded, principled, reflective and inquiring individuals.
The International Baccalaureate programme provides international standards of evaluation, allowing students to pursue post-secondary education at world-class institutions of their choosing, with the skills for independent, creative thought and inquiry. It has become the curriculum of choice at international schools throughout the world.
The IB has come to be known not only for academic excellence but also for promoting pluralism – an understanding and appreciation of other cultures, languages and points of view.
The IB originated in Switzerland when teachers at the International School of Geneva, working with schools in Asia, Europe and the Americas, created the IB Diploma. The programme is administered by the International Baccalaureate, a non-profit institution based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Through its Primary Years (nursery school to year 5), Middle Years (years 6–10), and Diploma (years 11–12) Programmes, the focus is on creating a globally relevant education, with the integration of local contexts. Additionally, students at each Aga Khan Academy are instructed in both English and the national language, so they are able to work within their communities as well as around the world.
For more information on the International Baccalaureate, please visit the IB website.
About the Academy
The Aga Khan Academy Dhaka is the fourth in the network of the Aga Khan Academies established by His Highness the Aga Khan.
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.
