Speech by President Sulaiman Shahabuddin at the 2026 AKU Convocation

Bismillah ir Rahman ir Rahim

Our Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan,
Our Pro-Chancellor, Princess Zahra Aga Khan,
Chair Zakir Mahmood and members of the Board of Trustees,
Colleagues, supporters and friends of the University, including those joining us online,
Family members of our graduands,
And our very, very dear members of the Class of 2025,
As salaam wa alaikum, good morning, and welcome.

Convocation is more than a celebration of achievement.

It is a moment when learning meets responsibility – when preparation gives way to service.

Today, we honour 461 graduates whose discipline, resilience and purpose have brought them here.

On behalf of the University – and personally – it is a privilege to congratulate you, the Class of 2025.

You arrived here through years of sustained effort: hours grappling with ideas and evidence; early mornings in hospitals and laboratories; long nights when persistence mattered more than inspiration.

Along the way were defining moments – the first procedure done well, the first lesson that truly worked – shaping not only what you know, but who you are becoming.

It was not easy. But it was definitely worth it.

Convocation also invites us to reflect on the generation now stepping forward – and on how they see their lives, their country and the future they are called to shape.

There is much to learn from how Pakistan’s young people see the world today.

Pakistan’s young people are inclusive, comfortable across faiths and perspectives, and aware that a divided society cannot meet shared challenges.

Digitally fluent, they see technology not as disruption but as opportunity – to expand knowledge, build skills and apply learning in practical ways.

At the same time, our young people are clear-eyed about reality. They worry about poverty, unemployment, unequal access to health care and education, climate change – and whether institutions are keeping pace with rapid change. Taken together, these realities leave me hopeful – because realism, when joined with education, purpose and opportunity, is not a weakness, but a source of strength.

When I look at the Class of 2025, I see a generation ready to meet these challenges – ethically grounded and prepared to lead with competence, humility and care.

I believe – deeply – that you are among the best equipped to advance inclusion and social cohesion in Pakistan and to shape the country as our founding fathers have envisaged.

I am hopeful not only because of you, our remarkable graduands, but also because of the vision the Aga Khan University embodies and how far this institution has come.

Today, ladies and gentlemen, AKU is stronger and more capable than ever – improving quality of life across Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and beyond.

Over the past five years, we have launched 18 new degree programmes and welcomed more than a thousand students.

We are especially proud today to welcome the first graduates of the Institute for Educational Development’s Bachelor of Education programme.

With the opening of our new campus in Uganda, and the anticipated opening of the Aga Khan University Hospital, Kampala in 2028, we continue to grow our health system, adding certifications, quality that improves access to health care.

This past year also marked a milestone in research: knowledge creation.

Twenty-seven AKU faculty were ranked among the top two percent of scientists globally – 15 of them alumni of the Aga Khan University.

In 2025 alone, we published more than 1,800 studies in peer-reviewed journals and secured more than $100 million in research funding from partners including the European Research Council, the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Wellcome Trust and the Gates Foundation. This – 2025 in terms of research funding – was a record for the University!

The Aga Khan University was never meant to be an island of excellence.

From its founding, it was intended to create change at scale – through partnership, particularly with the public sector.

Among many such efforts, we have worked closely with the Government of Sindh and other institutions to establish Pakistan’s first teaching licence, helping to elevate the profession nationwide.

We also work alongside the government to combat Hepatitis C and malaria, and to support initiatives addressing poverty, stunting and mental health.

We are also acting decisively on climate change. This campus has nearly 4 MW of solar capacity – enough to power 2,000 homes – with additional capacity being created across our global campuses.

Last year, The Economist highlighted AKU’s pioneering work to protect pregnant women in Sindh from extreme heat – the largest study of its kind anywhere in the world.

Ladies and gentlemen, graduands, let me take a moment to acknowledge those who quietly sustain this University.

I am deeply grateful to our faculty: scholars, clinicians, scientists and educators of the highest calibre, and above all, teachers and mentors who shape thoughtful and principled leaders.

I also recognise our exceptional staff. Much of your work happens behind the scenes, yet it is essential. Through your care, commitment, professionalism, you bring the University’s mission to life every day.

I thank the Trustees of the Aga Khan University who have travelled great distances to be with us today, and whose stewardship guides this institution with wisdom and care. Thank you.

I am equally grateful to the donors who have joined us. Your generosity reflects a deep belief in education and health care as forces for good.

I am especially grateful to Princess Zahra Aga Khan, our Pro-Chancellor, for her presence today and for her ongoing leadership and remarkable support. Thank you, Princess Zahra.

And above all, to our Chancellor, His Highness the Aga Khan, whose vision, guidance and generosity continue to shape our work and give it meaning. Thank you also, Your Highness, for the message you have shared with us today, which we will present in a few moments.

Ladies and gentlemen, the work across AKU campuses and hospitals is already making a meaningful difference.

The graduands before us will extend that impact even further – in ways we cannot yet imagine.

Class of 2025, you have learned much at this University. But education, at its best, does not simply prepare us for work.

It prepares us for responsibility – for choosing purpose over ease, service over self and integrity over advantage.

As the poet philosopher Allama Iqbal reminds us:

سبق پھر پڑھ صداقت کا، عدالت کا، شجاعت کا
لیا جائے گا تجھ سے کام دنیا کی امامت کا

Iqbal urges the youth to imbibe the lessons of truth and integrity (sadaqat), justice and fairness (adaalat), and courage (shujaat), as these are the attributes of leaders, and it is the youth – you, class of 2025 – who are the leaders of tomorrow.

Once again – congratulations to our Class of 2025.

I now have a very pleasant duty.

Graduates, ladies and gentlemen, we now have the distinct pleasure and high honour of installing Princess Zahra Aga Khan as Pro-Chancellor of the Aga Khan University. Our Chancellor has very graciously appointed Princess Zahra as AKU’s first-ever Pro-Chancellor, which is a landmark in the history of the University. As Pro-Chancellor, Princess Zahra will guide AKU in its continuing efforts to improve quality of life.

Princess Zahra’s appointment demonstrates His Highness’s deep commitment to the University and strong determination to build on its legacy of impact, quality, relevance and access. Princess Zahra has played a crucial role in AKU’s growth over the last two decades. The first year of her tenure as Pro-Chancellor has been marked by numerous achievements in the University’s academic programmes, its research enterprise and its delivery of healthcare services.

AKU is extremely fortunate and honoured to have Princess Zahra as its Pro-Chancellor. I now call upon Chair Zakir Mahmood to formally invest, on behalf of the Chancellor, Princess Zahra Aga Khan as Pro-Chancellor of the Aga Khan University.