The government of Gilgit-Baltistan has appreciated the importance of initiatives launched by the Aga Khan University’s Professional Development Centre, North (PDCN), by presenting it with two honours, including the "Friends of Education award". Over the past 19 years, the PDCN has implemented a number of wide-ranging educational development projects in Gilgit-Baltistan, in partnership with local government. These initiatives, such as the five-year Educational Development and Improvement Programme, have transformed the infrastructure and teaching standards of hundreds of local schools, and improved the quality of education received by tens of thousands of students.