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 (Grades 1–5)
- Middle Years (Grades 6–10)
- Diploma Programme (Grades 11–12).
Alisha Sonawalla - pushing the frontiers of technology
Alisha Sonawalla was part of AKA Hyderabad’s first graduating batch, the Class of 2014. Since then, she has accumulated an extraordinary set of experiences during a gap year and subsequently at university in New York City before joining Microsoft in Seattle this summer (2019). These experiences range from heading projects geared at exposing girls in rural India to coding and internet technologies, to designing English language development programmes in Tajikistan, and most recently, to spending summers in Silicon Valley working on self-driving cars.
Alisha is currently working as a software engineer at Microsoft (Seattle) after pursuing a dual degree – B.S. in Computer Science (from NYU Courant) and B.S. in Management Science with a concentration in Data Science (from NYU Stern School of Business). She has received the Dean’s Honour Roll for securing a Grade Point Average in the top 10% of the class. Outside the classroom, she has dabbled in multiple projects including building her own robo news-reader, and experimenting with developing a secure cloud sharing service.
“The Academy helped me become comfortable with making mistakes and encouraged me to focus on identifying solutions instead,” explains Alisha. “That, and my gap year experiences ignited in me a passion for tech and an entrepreneurial spirit, and ever since, I have been excited about building products to push the frontiers of technology forward.”
Copyright - GM/HondaAlisha’s internships at university have provided her with unparalleled opportunities to deepen her technical knowledge. In 2017, she did an internship at IBM, where she worked with machine learning algorithms to develop a predictive model that would help IBM use unstructured data to forecast revenues for subsequent quarters. And then last summer, she engaged with cutting-edge technologies as a software engineer on General Motors and Honda’s joint autonomous car venture, Cruise Automation. “It was an exciting time to be in in the Mecca of tech,” she reminisces. “I led the development of a large-scale mapping service to deliver real-time, preemptive updates to the vehicle, allowing them to make more efficient routing decisions and enhanced ride safety. As one of the early engineers in the self-driving car space, it was amazing to have the opportunity to contribute towards the future of tech.” Copyright - Agastya Int'l FoundationAlisha’s technological accomplishments of the past and plans for the future are marked by a social dimension. Her work with Agastya International Foundation, the world’s largest hands-on science program, took her to a small, rural village in Southern India, and involved designing a programme based on Google Bus and Raspberry Pi devices. The programme encouraged 900 students to combine scientific concepts with technology to find a solution to a local issue, such as soil contamination or crop infestation. “The girls’ newfound confidence became my motivation as I travelled across India and to Tajikistan conducting sessions for women on STEM opportunities,” shares Alisha. She was also one of 25 female engineers globally who was awarded the Goldman Sachs Grace Hopper Conference Scholarship to attend the Grace Hopper Conference, the largest conference for woman in tech.
In 2013, while still at AKA Hyderabad, Alisha travelled across four remote villages of Gujarat to document the livelihood and survival strategies of a lost community, the Devipujaks. Her interviews and field research was compiled into one of the only ethnographic studies done on this marginalized group of people, and she presented her findings at the National Conference on Human Rights organised by the Central University of Gujarat and the Government of India.
“I do see myself returning to India at some point,” Alisha states. “I see a lot of potential for innovation in bringing the next billion users online, and I want to be a part of this tech revolution. With a growing population, the lack of an educated workforce could create the biggest hindrance to economic prosperity and therefore it is essential to focus resources on education. Once the workforce is educated, it will be important to open up avenues of employment. Though we have seen smart phones and access to cheap internet become commonplace in India, there are still large pockets of the country that can benefit from access to better technology infrastructure. This would allow more home-grown startups to flourish, and enhance the ease of doing business in India for foreign companies for whom the 1.3 billion consumer base is extremely attractive." In the meantime, Alisha is joining Microsoft as a software engineer on their AI & Mixed Reality team. Alisha credits AKA Hyderabad with helping refine her value system. “The Academy gave me the space to develop my moral compass by taking on leadership opportunities and experiencing ethical dilemmas first-hand. Being faced with these ethical decisions on a small scale helped me develop a moral compass that guides me through major decisions even today. Moreover, living in a shared space taught me to adapt to different situations, lifestyles and people, which made my transition to NYU, a new city and a different culture seamless.”
Written by Kamini Menon
Erica Byenkya (Class of 2014): Contributing to society with love and generosity
Erica Byenkya, who is a fourth-year student at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Canada, is a graduate of the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa. Since leaving the Academy in 2014, Erica has been pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the university with a double major in marketing, and computer and information systems. She is expecting to graduate from the university in May 2019.
“I think that my Academy experience was vital in my success in university so far,” Erica says confidently. The Academy, she says, nurtured within her a love of volunteering that helped her make connections and friends, and also ensured that she remained connected to her local community. “I think that we were definitely more focused on encouraging independence and community service than the schools attended by other students,” Erica comments. The experience of living in residence at the Academy, she says, also helped her become more self-sufficient and taught her how to take care of herself – this was useful when she moved to Canada for higher education.
At the university, Erica has worked through three work terms as part of the cooperative education programme. In these three terms, she has worked as a marketing coordinator for a software development company and at a non-profit organization focused on encouraging students and faculty in the sciences. She has also taken up volunteer work, including with a local after-school youth programme and as the public relations representative of the Saint Mary’s African Student Society (SMASS). She is currently preparing for her second year with SMASS.
Erica is also doing well in her academic work. She received an entrance scholarship from Saint Mary’s University, which was increased last year due to academic achievement. Erica commends her counselors at the Academy: “I had a very hard time writing my personal statements for my university applications and I know that without the help of my counselors I wouldn’t have been accepted into all the universities I applied to.”
At the Academy in Mombasa, Erica was one of the founders of a service group that aimed to support local farmers in the area by consulting with them about their families’ needs and fundraising to help meet those needs. Through their efforts in the first year they helped one family send their youngest children to school, build a small shop to sell their wares and buy new seeds. The service group also helped pay the exam fees of the entire graduating class of a local school so that they could all sit their final exams.
One of the many things Erica misses at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa is her wonderful friends. “I’m still in contact with some of them online but being able to spend so much time with them was a gift I’m very thankful for,” she says. Her most unforgettable experience at the Academy which she is very proud of was learning to play the violin, which according to her was the most difficult to learn among other musical instruments. She fondly remembers her teachers: Mrs. Mwandawiro, her dorm mother and chemistry teacher, and Mr. Dudi, whom she calls “my wonderfully dramatic English teacher.” “They both pushed me very hard because they had high expectations for me, and while I did not perform as well as I’d hoped in chemistry, their expectations always encouraged me,” she says.
Erica chose to participate in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program because she felt, and still feels, that it offered her greater flexibility in her choices for the future. “With the national curriculum you are restricted to three subjects in your final two years but I was unsure about the career path I wanted to take and so I really appreciated being able to further study interesting subjects in the IB program while deciding what I wanted to do with my future," she remarks.
Erica says her future plans after graduating from the university is to stay and work in Canada for a while and then eventually make the decision about whether to pursue a post graduate degree. “I do see myself coming back to Uganda but before that happens I would like to travel more.” When asked what would she focus on to improve the lives of people in her country if she had all the resources at her disposal, Erica hoped that one day she could contribute to the renovation of the Ugandan library system so that it could benefit all the citizens of Uganda, especially the young students whose schools may not have large libraries or who seek safe and productive spaces to spend their free time.
Academy Model United Nations: Friday 10th – Sunday 12th November
Grades 9-12 don their delegates’ hats for three days of exciting debate and discussion on global issues. MINI-MUN for grades 6-8 taking place simultaneously.
Video: NTV News profiles two Kenyan teachers nominated for 2019 Global Teacher Prize
The AKA Learner Profile
The Aga Khan Academies (AKA) have developed a curriculum within the framework of the International Baccalaureate’s (IB) programmes. As such, the attributes of our learner profile are closely aligned to those of the IB learner profile.
Aga Khan Academies learners strive to be:
|
Inquirers |
We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.
|
|
Knowledgeable
|
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
|
|
Thinkers |
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
|
|
Communicators
|
We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.
|
|
Principled
|
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
|
|
Open-minded
|
We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
|
|
Caring
|
We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
|
|
Courageous
|
We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
|
|
Balanced |
We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives – intellectual, physical, emotional and spiritual – to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognise our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
|
|
Reflective
|
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
|
|
*Leaders |
We understand that multiple perspectives will allow us to make better decisions, and seek opportunities to work with a variety of others. We perceive and anticipate needs and problems, and are able to motivate ourselves and others to tackle problems, confidently and cooperatively.
|
|
*Stewards |
We understand the interconnectedness of communities, striving to create harmony in our environment, while considering the needs of all members. We are motivated to leave the world a better place.
|
© International Baccalaureate 2013
IB learner profile booklet
*Unique attributes of the Aga Khan Academies learner profile
The AKA Learner Profile
The Aga Khan Academies (AKA) have developed a curriculum within the framework of the International Baccalaureate’s (IB) programmes. As such, the attributes of our learner profile are closely aligned to those of the IB learner profile.
Aga Khan Academies learners strive to be:
|
Inquirers |
We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.
|
|
Knowledgeable
|
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
|
|
Thinkers |
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
|
|
Communicators
|
We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.
|
|
Principled
|
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
|
|
Open-minded
|
We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
|
|
Caring
|
We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
|
|
Courageous
|
We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
|
|
Balanced |
We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives – intellectual, physical, emotional and spiritual – to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognise our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
|
|
Reflective
|
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
|
|
*Leaders |
We understand that multiple perspectives will allow us to make better decisions, and seek opportunities to work with a variety of others. We perceive and anticipate needs and problems, and are able to motivate ourselves and others to tackle problems, confidently and cooperatively.
|
|
*Stewards |
We understand the interconnectedness of communities, striving to create harmony in our environment, while considering the needs of all members. We are motivated to leave the world a better place.
|
© International Baccalaureate 2013
IB learner profile booklet
*Unique attributes of the Aga Khan Academies learner profile
The AKA Learner Profile
The Aga Khan Academies (AKA) have developed a curriculum within the framework of the International Baccalaureate’s (IB) programmes. As such, the attributes of our learner profile are closely aligned to those of the IB learner profile.
Aga Khan Academies learners strive to be:
|
Inquirers |
We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.
|
|
Knowledgeable
|
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
|
|
Thinkers |
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
|
|
Communicators
|
We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.
|
|
Principled
|
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
|
|
Open-minded
|
We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.
|
|
Caring
|
We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
|
|
Courageous
|
We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
|
|
Balanced |
We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives – intellectual, physical, emotional and spiritual – to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognise our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
|
|
Reflective
|
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
|
|
*Leaders |
We understand that multiple perspectives will allow us to make better decisions, and seek opportunities to work with a variety of others. We perceive and anticipate needs and problems, and are able to motivate ourselves and others to tackle problems, confidently and cooperatively.
|
|
*Stewards |
We understand the interconnectedness of communities, striving to create harmony in our environment, while considering the needs of all members. We are motivated to leave the world a better place.
|
© International Baccalaureate 2013
IB learner profile booklet
*Unique attributes of the Aga Khan Academies learner profile
Khushboo Khoja Featured in IB Global News
Exploring MYP Global Contexts for Critical Thinking Day
