Princess Zahra Aga Khan

Distinguished guests, faculty, valued members of the AKU community

And my fellow graduands

Good evening to you all!

It is a great honour to stand here. I am humbled to represent you all. I must say your families are extremely proud of you. But I also need to draw your attention to the tremendous sense of relief that they all must feel that this day has finally come!

Joking aside, my colleagues from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, the UK, and Pakistan: I’d like to acknowledge that this is not a small moment. Many of us have had to balance their studies with jobs and family responsibilities. We have all had long coffee-fueled nights struggling through various articles. And at times we also had to wrestle with technology — or was that just a good excuse to postpone our assignments? But I digress.

We also had to wrestle with the virus, or could it be that, ultimately, it inspired us? Yes, COVID-19, over the past several years has tested us. But I’d like to affirm today that we passed the test with flying colours. Teachers learnt new software to teach children, nurses fought for ventilators, doctors worked relentlessly to save one more life. This is how we created history! Hence, today is a day to stand tall, embrace our beautiful regalia and share our smiles.

Now, over the last few years, people have asked me: Shazma, what sets AKU apart? For me, it is the community that sets us apart. Friends and lecturers who have become our family, who have wiped away our tears at all times of day and night.

But what does it mean to be a part of this AKU community? Well, let me tell you, AKU as a family consists of students, faculty, staff, and alumni who uphold the AKU values and dedicate their lives to address real-life problems, from climate change to non-communicable diseases. We are at the forefront of so many different fields, contributing relevant research and providing accessible services of high-quality standards. We are the leaders, we are the agents of change, embracing pluralism, making productive contributions to society and passing on the torch of knowledge to others.

But remember: leadership comes with many demands and responsibilities. Understanding our context, its people, and their culture. Identifying areas of growth, introducing change, and managing change with care and compassion. These are the skills that AKU has equipped us with, along with the ethical framework necessary to serve the greater good for everyone within our communities.

Dear colleagues, we are well-equipped to become the best in our fields, to contribute to making the world a better place, and to leave a mark on the world. But, today, I challenge all of us to strive for excellence no matter what we do. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr: “When you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. Don’t just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn’t do it any better.”

In the end, I would like to deliver my sincere gratitude to Almighty God for His infinite blessings, to our families for being our rock, to our faculty for paving the way for us, and to our Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan for his transformative vision!

Dear friends, I wish you all the best of luck on your new journey. Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

Congratulations Class of 2022 – we all did it!