AKDN | Education

Early childhood development gives young children a stronger start by linking early learning with health, nutrition, care and protection. AKDN works with families, educators, health workers and community institutions to improve support for children from before birth to age five.

Through early childhood development programmes, AKDN agencies improve access to services that help children learn, grow and prepare for school. Aga Khan Schools reaches children directly through pre-primary units, while the Aga Khan Foundation works with community and government partners to establish centres, train teachers, support parents and improve local management.

AKDN also works with families through Family Centres and community-based programmes. These services connect caregivers with early learning, health and nutrition support, particularly in rural and remote areas.

Globally, AKDN’s activities in primary and secondary education increase access to high-quality formal and non-formal learning opportunities for over a million students aged five to 18 each year. AKS, AKF, Aga Khan University (AKU) and the University of Central Asia (UCA) work together to strengthen the quality of countries’ educational systems and offer direct education provision.

To improve students’ academic and non-academic learning outcomes, our work with community-based and government-owned schools addresses:

• issues of access (particularly for girls);


• government capacity development;


• school leadership;


• teacher transformation;


• child-centred learning; and


• community engagement.

AKF works with schools in education improvement programmes to develop sustainable and scalable models that improve holistic learning outcomes; next working with governments and other partners to expand these in more schools.

AKS operates 199 schools and standalone pre-primary centres, and over 100 centres offering non-formal programmes, all open to students from any background. These combine a rigorous academic education with opportunities to develop the skills, pluralistic outlook and values to support societies around the world.

The four Aga Khan Academies in Bangladesh, Kenya, India and Mozambique will form part of a network of selective academies. They recruit students from all backgrounds, providing financial aid as needed to ensure access based on merit. The Academies aim to educate the future leaders of their countries, nurturing in them the skills and knowledge to support positive development in their societies.

AKDN views continuing education as a key driver to advancing the professional and vocational skills of any workforce. We seek to improve the capacity and status of critical professions in our society – whether teachers, nurses, engineers or entrepreneurs – through ongoing opportunities for personal development such as professional short courses, certificate programmes, mentoring or communities of practice.

For instance, UCA’s School of Professional and Continuing Education provides formal, university-based, non-degree educational programmes. Since 2006, it has engaged 270,000 students (45 percent women) in vocational and professional development courses. Additionally, AKS offers continuing education programmes in English and ICT for adults. These support employability and access to higher education. They include the internationally accredited International Computer Driving License (ICDL) certification.

AKDN has been meeting critical human resource needs in developing countries since 1983. To date we have more than 25,000 alumni globally.

The Aga Khan University and the University of Central Asia provide undergraduate and graduate programmes in disciplines including nursing, education, media and communications, engineering sciences, computer sciences, earth and environmental studies, global economics and business management. They are preparing young men and women across nine university campuses to succeed in the global knowledge economy, to lead change in their societies, and to increase understanding and respect in a pluralistic world. There are almost 4,000 students enrolled at AKU.

AKF provides a limited number of scholarships each year for postgraduate studies to outstanding students from select developing countries. Find out about international scholarships.

AKF, UCA and AKU are implementing a universities improvement programme, focusing on four institutions in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic. This initiative supports efforts to improve:

• governance;


• master plans;


• faculty development;


• curriculum quality;


• specific priority facilities; and


• internal systems.

AKDN’s agencies and institutions seek to develop and share new knowledge, whether by treating ECD centres as living laboratories or through an array of postgraduate research. Together, we hope to meet the challenges of today and the future.

AKF is leading Schools2030, a 10-year participatory action research and learning improvement programme covering pre-primary, primary and secondary levels. It supports teachers to design, test and showcase innovative learning solutions in 1,000 government schools across Afghanistan, Brazil, India, Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, ​Pakistan, Portugal, Tajikistan, Tanzania and Uganda. Tracking how these solutions affect holistic learning outcomes will equip frontline teachers and school leaders to improve education for marginalised learners worldwide. Find out more

AKU’s research aims to inform and underpin intellectual innovation and change. Its research centres are:

• the Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, in collaboration with the University of California;


• the Centre of Excellence in ​Wom​en and Child Health​​​​​​, researching issues relevant to women and children in developing countries;


• the Brain and​ Mind Institute, working on mental health and neuroscience; and


• the ​Institute for Global Health and Development​, which researches and takes action on major global health challenges.

UCA’s research promotes the social and economic development of Central Asia, particularly its mountain communities. Its Mountain Societies Research Institute, Institute of Public Policy and Administration, Civil Society Initiative, Cultural Heritage and Humanities Unit, Aga Khan Humanities Project and Afghan Research Initiative have produced over 150 publications. The School for the Advancement of Gender Equality was launched in 2021.