بِسْمِ ٱللّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Our Pro-Chancellor, Princess Zahra Aga Khan,
Leaders of the University,
Distinguished guests, respected faculty, families, friends and my fellow graduands, good morning.

Today is a celebration, not only of our degrees, but of the remarkable journey that brought us all here, and the new beginnings that now await us. You see, my journey to AKU did not begin with acceptance, it began with uncertainty. I remember the word “waitlisted”, and the quiet fear that I might never make it to my dream school. Just as I was about to make peace with that reality, another letter arrived, this one with much better news than before.

Five years later, after countless clinical hours and more chai in the courtyard than modern science recommends, I stand here honoured to deliver this valedictory address on behalf of all those who graduate today. A reminder that our beginnings do not define our endings.

This lesson did not begin or end with me. For many of us, our journey to AKU began in the shadow of a pandemic. A time when the world was struggling with social distancing and hospitals were overwhelmed. We learned through screens, made friends in Zoom chat boxes, and discovered, to our surprise, that academic excellence and pajamas are not mutually exclusive.

The distance taught us that this journey is impossible to walk alone. It forced us to build bridges before we ever set foot on our campus, turning a time of isolation into our first-ever lesson about the AKU community.

AKU gave us far more than academic training; it instilled values – values we carry with us every single day. It taught us resilience, reinforced the importance of consistency and inspired innovation, preparing us to become the next generation of visionary leaders. Speaking of consistency, I realised this morning – I graduate today wearing the very same pair of glasses I wore on my first day of my university. I suspect you all have your own versions of something like this, perhaps a lucky pen, or a friendship that has not changed since the very first day. Whether this is a testament to AKU’s value, or perhaps a bit of our own luck, the lesson remains: some foundations are built to last.

Beyond that, the truth is none of us stand here on our own. Our success is a collective one, built on the effort and generosity of many, and for that, we owe our deepest gratitude. On behalf of the Class of 2025, I want to thank our Founding Chancellor, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan, whose vision of quality education and community-centered service continues to guide this institution, and our current Chancellor, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan, for leading us into a future we are now empowered to define.

Guided by our strong leadership, our faculty walked this path right beside us, challenging us to reach our highest standards while teaching us that excellence without empathy is empty. Thank you. You shaped not just our minds for our careers, but our hearts for the people we are now about to serve.

Finally, we turn to those who have been our foundation long before we ever arrived at these gates. So, to our families, especially our parents and our guardians, who carried us long before we could carry ourselves. Our being here today is as much your achievement as it is ours. Everything we are is a reflection of your sacrifice and your unwavering belief in us and for that, thank you. And lastly, to our friends, who kept us grounded, sane and laughing through it all, thank you. Thank you for being our best partners.

As we now step foot beyond these gates, we begin a new leg of our journey. As physicians, nurses, researchers, educators and other valuable healthcare professionals, we carry with us more than our degree, we carry the responsibility of the Aga Khan University seal. Its circle reflects the breadth of the world we are now called to serve upon. And at its heart lies Nur, the light of knowledge. A reminder that this light of education was never meant to be kept to ourselves, it was meant to illuminate and to serve wherever there is need. By carrying this light, we leave today not just as graduates, but as custodians of a legacy, entrusted to take what we have learned here and carry it to the places where it matters the most.

Class of 2025, we are not defined by where we started, but by the courage with which we kept going. So let us go forward resilient, grounded and just humble enough to remember that even our greatest leaders were once students refreshing their emails, hoping that a good news arrives.

Thank you and congratulations to us all.