AKU-NAMAAga Khan University Newsletter and Magazine for Alumni

Summer 2009, Vol. 2, Issue 1

GrandAlumniReunion

Celebrating25 years

Editor-in-ChiefAdeel A Buttaabutt@gmail.com

Editorial StaffShain Amershi, Executive Assistantalumni.nachapter@aku.edu

Associate EditorsFaiz Bhora, Medical CollegeNorth American Chapterfybhora@aol.com

Rahila Zakir, Medical CollegeEuropean Chapterr.zakir@btinternet.com

Tazeen JafarPakistan Chaptertazeen.jafar@aku.edu

Umer DarrPakistan Chapterudarr92@yahoo.com

Rubina Barolia, School of Nursingrubina.barolia@aku.edu

Erum Kabani, School of Nursningerum.kabani@aku.edu

Nadim Farooqui, Institute for EducationalDevelopmentnadim.farooqui@aku.edu

Nilufar Shariff, Advanced Nursing Studies,East Africanilufar.shariff@aku.edu

Belkais RouachedInstitute for the Study of Muslim Civilisationsbalkis19hope@yahoo.ca

Marie Andrades, Postgraduate MedicalEducationmarie.andrades@aku.edu

Ex-Officio MembersFiroz Rasul, Presidentfiroz.rasul@aku.edu

Asif Fancy and A. Haque WahednaAlumni Affairs Officeasif.fancy@aku.eduahaq.wahedna@aku.edu

Deans and DirectorsFarhat Abbas, Interim Dean, Medical Collegefarhat.abbas@aku.edu

Rozina Karmaliani, Interim Dean,School of Nursingrozina.karmaliani@aku.edu

Muhammad Memon, DirectorInstitute for Educational Developmentmuhammad.memon@aku.edu

Richard Ganga Limando, DirectorAdvanced Nursing Studies, East Africaganga.limando@aku.edu

John Hough, Head of AdministrationInstitute for the Study of Muslim Civilisationsjohn.hough@aku.edu

Mumtaz J. KhanAssociate Dean, Postgraduate MedicalEducationmumtaz.khan@aku.edu

No Room for Complacency ............... ...............................3

Welcome Home ...................................................................4

In the Name of Service .......................................................5

You Can Come Back to AKU! ...........................................6

Assessing Our Impact ........................................................8

An ACT Well Performed ...................................................9

Reflections .........................................................................10

Combining Academics and Philanthropy ......................12

ISMC: An Inaugural Graduation ...................................14

Championing Change ......................................................15

The Fruits of Scholarship ................................................16

Campus Happenings ........................................................17

Class Notes ........................................................................19

NRMP Match Results ......................................................21Cov

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The views and opinions expressed in this publication are of the individual authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views or policy of the editorial boardor the Aga Khan University.

Alumni representatives of the different AKU entities engaged the general alumnibody at a session which focused on a new Alumni Association Constitution.

AKU/Fahim Siddiqi

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AKU-NAMAAga Khan University Newsletter and Magazine for Alumni

Winter 2008, Vol. 1, Issue 2

“The alumni need to takea more active role in theaffairs of the Universityto ensure that theachievements of the pastare not merely that –achievements of the past,but become a baselinefrom where we reach outto an even brighterfuture.’’

Twenty-five years is a long time ina person’s life. Inanthropologic/anthropometric termsit is considered one generation.However, 25 year is a mere blip inthe life of an institution. The AgaKhan University celebrated its 25-year anniversary in 2008, a mile-stone that brought much pride andsatisfaction at what we haveachieved, but alsoa realisation andunderstanding ofthe challengesahead. TheUniversity now hascampuses or pro-grammes in eightcountries spreadover three conti-nents. With theaddition ofInstitute forEducationalDevelopment inKarachi and Dar esSalaam, theAdvanced NursingStudies programme in East Africaand the Institute for the Study ofMuslim Civilisations in London, the

University has truly become aleader in higher learning. AFaculty of Arts and Scienceswill open its doors in nearfuture to provide critical liber-al arts education in Pakistanand East Africa, the first of itskind in the region.

Self congratulations at ourachievements as a University

would bewelldeserved.Within thefirst 25years, theFaculty ofHealthSciences,theUniversity’sfirst faculty,has createda near para-digm shift locallyand globally. Thename ‘AKU’ hasbecome synony-

mous with high quality merit basededucation. The University hasearned a reputation not only inPakistan and other countries whichhost its programmes and campuses,but beyond those borders in NorthAmerica and Europe. Indeed thename ‘AKU’ elicits respect andadmiration from the most presti-gious institutions in the worldwhere alumni apply for training andfaculty positions.

Therein rings a warning bell.Laurels of the past must not makeus complacent. The Universityneeds to continue to adhere to thehighest standards in education andethics. The alumni need to be evervigilant to continue to apply theknowledge and values they have

learnt in a manner that will furtherenhance the prestige of theUniversity. The alumni also need totake a more active role in theaffairs of the University to ensurethat the achievements of the pastare not merely that – achievementsof the past, but become a baselinefrom where we reach out to aneven brighter future. During theGrand Alumni Reunion, theUniversity and the administrationmade it clear that they are lookingfor help and direction from thealumni. It is now up to us torespond to that call. Complacencyis not an option, for it can lead tocontentment with the status quo.And that can lead to a loss of scien-tific inquiry, a lack of ambition anda loss of what has been gained withso much hard work.

The ball is in our court. Let usplay it wisely.

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Months of work behind the scenes by the Grand Alumni Reunion committee culminated in a week of events. It wasan enormous success, even though before it started, no one really knew what to expect, what was going to happen orwhat impact it would have. Let me take you through the inaugural session from where I was sitting…

Dr Cheves Smythe AKU/Fahim Siddiqi

Following the Tilawat recited by MrManzoor Hussain Changezi, MEd’00, Dr Tazeen Jafar, Chair of theGrand Alumni Reunion committee,welcomed alumni, reminding us ofAKU’s achievements over the last25 years – the University now hasprogrammes in eight countries andthousands of alumni worldwide con-tributing to the fields of science,education, health care and socialdevelopment at both national andinternational levels.

She was followed by Mr AsifFancy, Director-General, ResourceDevelopment and Public Affairs,who declared that his true claim tofame was that he was father of anAKU alumna, which drew a warmround of applause from the audi-ence. We all know that Asif workedtirelessly to facilitate the GAR, andto coordinate from the central alum-ni office in Pakistan. Mr Abdul HaqWahedna (Haqqi), who many of usknow as the face of the AlumniOffice, introduced the week’s events

and highlighted thefirst-class arrange-ments AKU had putin place for alumni,from corporate hos-pitality to childcare.

Dr Yasmin Amarsi,former Dean, Schoolof Nursing (SON),spoke of the 7,800alumni from theUniversity, includingSON and theInstitute forEducationalDevelopment (IED)graduates from East

Africa, who assist, support, mentorand act as role models for new grad-uates of the University, and of thepartnership between AKU and itsalumni. Dr Mohammad Khurshid,former Dean, Medical College,encouraged alumni to play a part inthe future direction of theUniversity. He stressed that we haveto make our voices heard – that we,the alumni, can contribute tomoving the University forward. DrMuhammed Memon, Director, IED,highlighted the achievements ofIED graduates, and spoke withpride of the role of IED alumni inbuilding bridges between AKUand other sectors.

Dr Cheves Smythe, FoundingDean, Medical College, spoke aboutthe role of an alumni association. Itis an organisation not just for socialinteraction or fundraising for theuniversity, but rather a source ofnew direction and leadership essen-tial to ensure that an institution doesnot stagnate.

One of the factors which hascontributed to AKU’s success hasbeen its unremitting commitment tothe quality of its product – its gradu-ates. The University is known inmany places not for its campus, hos-pitals or patient care, but for theexcellence of its alumni.

Whether the University reflectsthe quality of its graduate, or thegraduate reflects the quality of theUniversity, what is important is areciprocal sense of ownershipbetween the two. Whatever theUniversity gives its graduates isvaluable, and as alumni developtheir careers and roles in society, itis in their interests to maintain arelationship with AKU.

He maintained that the alumniown – own in the truest sense of theword – a big portion of the pro-grammes at AKU, and have aresponsibility for the quality of thoseprogrammes. He illustrated thisthrough an experience at Yale in theearly 1960s, when a change of lead-ership brought an unfamiliar seriesof values and practices. “…not theleast of the problems at that particu-lar juncture of that university’s histo-ry was the faculty’s role in thisunwinding of affairs. It was thealumni who I’ll say revolted andwho said things are not going well,the programme has to be reversed,some old values have to be reassert-ed. And I use that as an example tosay where the hand of the alumniwas very important and whatevolved in that University, and it hasdone well since. So you all do ownthe place, it is yours. It is proud ofyou and, I hope, you are proud of it.”

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Alumni from the School of Nursing and the Institute for Educational Development celebrating AKU’s anniversary byserving over 4,000 people in different parts of Karachi.

“To promote good health for thepoor, we need to improve theiraccess to health care as well asassist in health education campaignsthat can make a difference. It is notonly our responsibility… but alsoour gift to our alma mater on its 25th

anniversary” said Rubina Barolia,SON alumna, Co-Chair, NursingAlumni Standing Committee.

Over 300 alumni from SON andthe IED, along with 100 nursingstudents, volunteered to serve ineight health camps organisedthroughout Karachi, includingGarden in Filmistan, Naseerabad inRahimabad, Karimabad in Federal‘B’ Area, Saudabad in Malir, BilalColony in Korangi, IbrahimHaidery, Sultanabad and JamotComplex in Rehri Goth. TheUniversity has worked in thesecommunities over the last 25 years,through various health awarenesscampaigns, community serviceprojects and in-community trainingfor students.

The camps provided basic healthcare, screening for blood pressure,weight and sugar. They alsopromoted awareness of generalhygiene and disease preventionpractises amongst the visitors. “It isgood to know that something assimple as washing my hands beforepreparing food can reduce thechances of my children getting sick”said one mother. A college student atone of the camps added, “I was notaware of the hazards of smokingcigarettes or eating paan. It is onlytoday that I have come to realisewhat effect this has on me and,through me, on my family.”

Visitors with healthproblems werereferred to alumnifor free medicalconsultations whileothers spoke tocollege studentsabout careeroptions. Thepersonal hygienestall proved to be afavourite with thechildren, who alsoenjoyed the gameson healthy diets,the puppet showsand face painting.

Congratulationsto the alumni andstudents forcontributing theirtime and effort.

Alumni serving at the camps. AKU

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Carol Ariano, Vice President, Human Resources, AKU, spoke to alumni about the opportunities for involvement withthe University and its vision for the future.

Carol Ariano inviting alumni to participate in shapingthe University’s future.As all of you know, AKU is cele-brating its 25th anniversary. You canbe justifiably proud of the part youhave played in laying the founda-tions, building the reputation, andpositioning the University so strong-ly that we are confident in our abili-ty to take on the challenges of thenext 25 years and beyond.

One way that you might considercontributing to the University as itmoves forward is to return to AKUand invest your knowledge, talentand experience to expand yourcareer, whether it is as part of thefaculty, staff or management of theUniversity. We now have severalhospitals, new and continuing aca-demic programmes and facilities ina variety of locations, each of whichare expanding their overall opera-tions, and looking for gifted peoplesuch as yourselves to enable us tothrive in the delivery of world-classprogrammes and services within thedeveloping world. Indeed, we areconcerned that one of the majorrisks to achieving our challengingmission is that we will not be able to

attract enough peoplewith the qualities weneed in time to fulfilour vision.

You may be inter-ested to know thatbetween 1984 and2008, AKU grew from678 to 8,400 people. Inmany cases, we devel-oped our own gradu-ates into the healthcare professionals,managers and execu-tives needed to deliverour programmes, and

we will continue to do this in thecoming years. Our current plansinclude expanding our overall facul-ty and staff complement from thecurrent 8,700 to 14,000 by 2018.The growth in faculty membersbetween 2008 and 2018 will be from585 to 1,464; the student populationfrom 2,600 to 8,400 and we haveplans to expand that number further.Such dramatic growth will be theresult of growth in all of our exist-ing programmes, and the establish-ment of several key new offerings.

A large part of this expansionwill be seen over the next five years.During this period we will be open-ing or expanding the Faculty of Artsand Sciences in Tanzania andPakistan, the Faculty of HealthSciences in Nairobi and health andeducation services in Afghanistan,Egypt and Central Asia.

The establishment of the newFaculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS)represents a significant transition forAKU to becoming a comprehensiveuniversity, with an expanded pres-ence in both Pakistan and East

AKU

Africa. It will provide a broad-basedarts and sciences curriculum,grounded in an interdisciplinary corecurriculum, which will be unique inthis part of the world. Under-graduate degrees will require fouryears of study, and our health sci-ences and other major programmeswill share broad-based multidiscipli-nary study with FAS students in thefirst two years of their studies. Inaddition, we will build two new1,000-acre campuses, which willinclude residential housing for facul-ty, staff and students. Recreation andstate-of-the-art facilities for theatre,music, dance and other multipurposeuses will provide the background toa rich student life experience, anoth-er unique aspect for higher educa-tion in South Asia and East Africa.Our intent is to influence the devel-opment of the leaders of tomorrowfrom an international student body,grounded in broad thinking andproblem-solving skills, and able toappreciate the influence of history,literature, economics and culture ondeveloping perspectives suited towell-rounded professionals and citi-zen leaders. As the University pro-gresses, we will also offer graduateprofessional schools in fields suchas education, architecture andhuman settlement, media and com-munications, and economic growthand development along with a richcomplement of continuing educationprogrammes to continue to expandthe reach of the University into themany communities we serve.

Building on the successes inKarachi, the University will initiatea Faculty of Health Sciences withinternational-standard programmes

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for medicine, nursing and allied healtheducation, including graduate studies,in all of these areas in East Africa. Theplans represent an investment of US$250 million in East Africa, and theseinvestments will include the expansionof the Hospital in Nairobi into a fullteaching hospital. The current pro-grammes, which are focused onpostgraduate degrees and diplomastudies, will also be expanded.

We are offering certificate,diploma and degree programmes inAllied Health Sciences, Master degreesin Health Administration, ClinicalResearch and Bioethics and a pro-gramme in health economics is indevelopment. Our focus onpopulation health will strengthenexpertise in operational research andpublic advocacy.

For those interested in ClinicalServices, we have a comprehensiveand multidisciplinary approach towomen and child health. In Karachi,with the expansion of the field ofemergency medicine and the creationof a Department of EmergencyMedicine, there are new opportunitiesto practice and teach your specialtywhile conducting research in ourhospitals. Should you prefer to workelsewhere, for instance, with ourpartners at the French Medical Institutefor Children, we are also developing aunique approach to train doctors,nurses, allied health professionals andthe staff necessary to support theseservices with a combination of learningand work experience in Kabul, Karachiand Paris. This level of cooperationprovides interesting opportunities toshare expertise among students, facultyand clinicians.

The University is expanding itsservices in Afghanistan through theFrench Medical Institute for Children,which will expand to a 300 to 400 bedacute care and general teaching hospi-tal with comprehensive diagnostic andtherapeutic capabilities, and 24-houremergency facilities. Here we areintroducing postgraduate medicaleducation, nursing and midwiferyprogrammes, with FMIC serving as an

We welcome yourinterest and your applica-tion to join us. Permanentfull-time positions areposted at:www.aku.edu/job/onlinejobs/. To apply for aposition, you can contactus directly throughrecruitment@aku.edu. Ifyou mark a copy to me atcarol.ariano@aku.edu wewill contact you directly toset up a telephone or videoconference interview.

AKU academic resource centre inKabul. We also have plans withAga Khan Development Network, todevelop an integrated health deliverysystem in Central Asia and to extendnursing programmes into rural partsof Afghanistan.

With the appointment of a newDean of Research and GraduateStudies, our focus on research isexpanding, and we anticipate growth inthe quality and quantity of researchconducted at AKU. We plan to increaseopportunities for multidisciplinaryresearch approaches applicable to dif-ferent fields. Current focus areasinclude curriculum studies, educationin early years, human development,reproductive health/women’s issues,and cardiovascular diseases.

We have the need for hundreds ofqualified faculty, staff and managers,under many different employmentarrangements.We need peo-ple to assist inthe develop-ment of cur-riculum, pro-grammes andto augmentteaching andlearning as welaunch thesevarious offer-ings. We wel-come applica-tions for per-manent full-time position,short-term fac-ulty (onesemester), vis-itinglecturerships,and so on. Wehave evolved asupportiveoffering to welcome people on a part-time or voluntary basis, as externalevaluators to academic programmes(we are constantly challenging our-selves to maintain competitive interna-tional standards) and to form partner-ships for research through joint

research opportunities.If you are not ready to join us,

we still welcome your involvement.With your experience and networksyou could be most helpful inidentifying strong candidates andevaluating the appropriateness of thosewho apply. Serving on a search com-mittee, as a thesis advisor, or acting asa mentor to new faculty members areall ways to share your expertise withthe University.

We would like to rely on you to actas ambassadors for AKU, taking theopportunity to speak of your almamater and to encourage friends andcolleagues to consider joining us.

Should you join us in any capacity,you will have the opportunity to con-tribute to the continuing developmentof a world-class University, one that isgrounded in and relevant to the needsof the developing world. You will have

the chance to augmentyour experience, andthereby your career, byworking both locallyand internationally, asour University nowoffers programmes ineight countries, a num-ber that is constantlyexpanding. You willfind a supportiveresearch environmentand you will be encour-aged to engage in con-tinuous professionaldevelopment (includingsupport for Master andPhD programmes).Additionally, as ouracademic programmesare highly competitive,you will have thechance to work withstudents of the highestcalibre.

Please consider the amazingventure that AKU is embarking on forour next 25 years. You have been acritical contributor to the success wehave achieved so far, and can make acontinuing contribution to building aneven stronger future.

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March 2008 marked 25 years of AgaKhan University in action, a mile-stone celebrated in December at thefirst campus – Stadium Road,Karachi – with great fanfare. AGrand Alumni Reunion was organ-ised to bring together former stu-dents of all the different pro-grammes – AKU has truly become auniversity without borders withteaching sites in eight countries, onthree different continents.

One of the principal themes ofthis reunion was to assess theimpact of alumni. It is a questionthat has generated several dilemmasamongst the graduates. What is theappropriate ‘yard-stick’ for measur-ing impact? How does one defineimpact? This question is of particu-lar relevance to AKU, which is

indeed a unique institution in termsof its emphasis on the training ofhealth professionals in social anddevelopment work. It is an areareceiving much more attention asmedical education focuses on gener-ating new science that can positive-ly impact public health and societyat large.

After much debate and the inputof several noted academics, civilsociety leaders, scholars, physiciansand educationists, a wide range ofmeasures were suggested. Concernswere also voiced that perhaps effortsto assess the impact of AKU alumnidepends on the age of academicinstitutions and should be conductedin stages. Since most of the alumnibody, at this stage, consists of physi-cians and nurses, the impact of

Umer Darr, far left, Tazeen Jafar, third from the left, and Mumtaz Khan, far right, at a musical evening event at the reunion. AKU

health professionals at a global ornational level could be assessedfirst. This could cover raising thestandards of excellence in clinicalservice and medical education,enhancing the outreach and qualityof care in under-served areas,assessing the impact of advocacy onhealth policy at global, regional ornational levels, innovating new serv-ices and models of health care deliv-ery, and generating new knowledge.

The brainstorming initiated at thereunion amongst alumni based inPakistan and overseas, theUniversity administration and theAlumni Affairs Office will continuethroughout 2009. The questionsposed will be discussed with thelarger alumni body before anyassessments are undertaken.

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Naqaab – the veil – performed entirely by students.

At first glance, medicine and dramaseem quite the odd couple. Dry sci-ence and whimsical verse don’tseem to mix, though it takes only amoment’s reflection to realise howinseparable they are. Who hasn’trelished at least one drippy episodeof Grey’s Anatomy? Wasn’t Apollohimself revered by the Greeks asthe god of both healing and thearts? And who hasn’t acted likethey really do care about and under-stand another’s pain, when all theyreally want to do is toss that stuffywhite coat and get a decent night’ssleep? Clearly, ‘the art of healing’ isno understatement.

Finding art in a medical college,however, is a virtually impossibletask; one tends to get lost amidst theangst, stress, ambition, short-tem-pers and god-complexes of the ever-over-worked students. It was in lightof these tragic circumstances thatAga Khan University’s Club forTheatre (ACT) got its act together.

Expressing one’s inner self is awelcome relief from studyingone’s inner self. ACT is a platformthat allows AKU medical studentsto channel their inevitably built-upfrustrations into something engag-ing, attractive, evocative, andentertaining – in short, it looks bet-ter than a nervous breakdown.Writers, directors, stage designersand creative minds in theUniversity come together under theaegis of ACT, the need for whichwas established by the institution’slack of one, and the abundance ofdrama queens that just couldn’t getenough attention. ACT explodedon stage in the spring of 2008,with its debut performance Uljhan,or confusion, a short comedy witha dark ending. The play’s successestablished ACT as a tour de force

amongst the rest of the societies,making the Students’ BioethicsForum and Students’ ResearchForum pale in comparison.Organising events such as the two-day Drama Festival, annual plays,and participating regularly in actingcompetitions around the countrymake ACT one of AKU’s mostACTive and productive societies,with packed auditoriums and ravereviews now only to be expected.

ACT’s most auspicious produc-tion to date, however, was the annu-al play staged at the Grand AlumniReunion during AKU’s 25th anniver-sary celebrations. The appropriatelytitled Naqaab told the tale of afreshly-graduated doctor whointends to leave Pakistan and settleabroad for good – a dilemma andtemptation haunting many a localMBBS graduate. However, after abloodied patient in the ER confidesin him his dying wish, he is chal-lenged with formidableobstacles in his quest for justice

against those meant to serve itscause – all for a complete stranger,and at the risk of the lives of thosehe loves most.

Dark themes of betrayal, hiddenagendas, greed, sacrifice, and insuf-ferable loss were explored beneaththe veneer of comic antics and hilar-ious characters, such as the perpetu-ally inebriated servant, the cross-dressing ‘aunt,’ the amorous fatherand the rigid general – serving tomake very clear that everything isnot always what it seems. At the endof the road, the hero emerges victo-rious, yet with the realisation thatabandoning his ailing nation is notthe answer. The protagonist’s impas-sioned ending speech resonated withthe audience, and the curtain fell toroaring applause.

The play’s reception embodiesACT’s underlying ideology, becauseat the end of the day, we not onlywant to make the study of medicinea bit more fun, but just a bit moremeaningful as well.

AKU

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New Visions and Dreams

The Grand Alumni Reunion was amega event with arrangements tai-lored to engage the alumni. Peopleflew in from all over the world justto catch up with the spirit of bygoneyears. While sitting in the auditori-um, listening to inaugural speeches,a question hacked at me repeatedly,“What is the essence of aUniversity? Is it the mortar, marble,the fancy woodwork, or it is some-thing else?”

The subconscious part of mymind replied, “Of course, teachersare the essence of a University!” Ateacher is like a beacon of light inthe darkness of ignorance. Teachersbring all of us to the realisation ofour true selves, liberating us fromheresy and dogmas. One who subju-gates us to them is not a trueteacher. A true teacher has gonethrough their own internal journeyof self-actualisation, and come intothe full light of their internal powersand limitations. They have realisedthe order of the universe, believing,“Ask and it will be given to you;seek, and you shall find; knock andthe door will be opened to you.”*Teachers seek to unravel the mys-tery of the universe and bring theirpupils into the full realisation oftheir true selves. It is through theconscious and determined efforts of

Haider Naqvi is an Instructor at AKU-MC.

Ann Felstead, second from the right, visiting with friends atthe reunion.

a teacher that the rough edges of apupil are shaped; like a diamond

they then shine and gleam,for all to see in the end.

As the University chartsout its agenda for the next 25years, it is important thatacademic leadership takeseveryone on-board. Thoughthere is no substitute forexperience, the vitality of afresh vision is also essential.In the words of PauloCoelho, “New ideas needspace. Body and soul neednew challenges. The futurehas become the present, andevery dream – each new,unfettered dream – will havea chance to reveal itself.”

Aga Khan University needs to moveforward, into the 21st century, withits commitment to professionalism,merit, research-ingenuity and thehighest standards of patient care.Those with similar values will alignthemselves with this notion, whileothers will fall out. Imbibing thesevalues, AKU alumni will be calledon to do their part and serve in vari-ous academic and leadership roles.Ultimately the torch is transferredfrom one generation to another.* The Holy Bible, Luke 11:9-10

Letter from an Alumna

As an alumna Iwas delighted to bepart of the 25th

anniversary ofAKU. Even thoughI returned to theKarachi campusafter 11 years, mymemories are stillvivid. I rememberan impressive andfriendly campus,where I enjoyedliving and learningat a university thathas grown tobecome one of

national and international repute. Atfirst, I felt like a stranger as I didnot recognise any faces. At thereunion however, I saw many faces,all happy and filled with laughter. Isaw faculty members who taughtme, old friends who studied withme – and the sense of commitmentand belonging to my alma materwas reignited.

The School of Nursing hasachieved so much. It has expandedfar beyond the Stadium Road cam-pus and even beyond the borders ofPakistan. Its alumni have con-tributed to programmes inAfghanistan, Syria, Kenya, Ugandaand Tanzania, performing multipleroles of managers, clinicians, edu-cators and mentors. Moreover, theyhave dedicated themselves toempowering people, especiallywomen, in developing countries, toguide their own destinies and tomake their rightful contributions ascitizens of a global community. Ona personal note, I take pride thatone of my closest colleagues, anddear friend, is now the Interim Deanof SON.

University alumni are all overthe world. We are stakeholders inour own fields, armed with our abil-ities and a vision that is shared byall alumni. Therefore, wherever weare, whatever we contribute, be ittime, expertise, financial and/ortechnical support, our alumni are

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Atif Zaheer, second from the right, on a tour of the recently built Ibn Zuhr oncology facility.Fahim Siddiqi

equipped to join AKU on its journeyinto the future.

Last but not least, I would like toextend my gratitude to the activemembers of the AKU family fororganising the Grand AlumniReunion. As excited as I was lead-ing up to the event, I had a moremarvelous time than I could possi-bly have imagined. There were somany friends, colleagues and facultyto reconnect with, some of whom Ihad stayed in touch with over theyears. It was just as wonderful tosee once again old friends withwhom I had lost touch, but after justa few minutes the years simplymelted away as we all shared ourmemories of university days andstories of the lives we have ledsince. It was a truly mag-nificent occasion, one Iwill forever cherish.

Homecoming ofthe Heart

My recent trip to AKUfor the 25th anniversarywas tremendous, from thetime I saw the WelcomeHome Alumni sign at theentrance, to the lavishdinners and concerts Iattended. However, I feltlike a ghost drifting aim-lessly through the quad-rangle, looking for famil-iar faces, in search of a pat on theback for my accomplishments.People were more interested in whatI had done rather than what was nextfor me – a question I, myself, had noanswer for.

I traced my footsteps back towhere it all started: to the first inter-view. We were all visionaries at thetime, 17-year-old visionaries, whohad it all figured out. Medicine, spe-cialisation (I think they call it resi-dency now) and cardiology. Beyondthis, however, it was all murky.Research, education and helping the

country were some of the buzz-words that we all randomly threwout to impress our interviewers.Between receiving the acceptanceletter and the end of postgraduatetraining, there were too many CATsand Calls to think about any of ourgrand plans; our idealistic ambitionsbecame a distant memory.Somewhere along the road the goalschanged altogether and now therewas talk of job contracts and part-nership tracts. Cardiology became‘cards’ and ‘derma’ became ‘derm’.Along came talk of mankind’s bar-ren existence without an iPhone andthe need for the largest vehicle thatis not a minivan. We know that weare all there without actually know-ing what there is. Every now and

then while listening to the radio the17-year-old turns in his sleep andmutters something about the funda-mental nobility that is inherent toour profession before falling backinto deep slumber. Answering anemail from an AKU student, givingfree advice makes us feel specialand we marvel at our graciousnature while helping these poorsouls. Has our quest to attain nirvanaended in a suburb in Nevada? Is thiswhat all this was all about?

I feel like we need the equiva-lent of a 180° pulse used in MRI

imaging, to refocus the de-phasingprotons required to generate a sig-nal, to get us back to the spirit thatwe all started our careers with. Thatquestion of ‘now what,’ that wekeep asking ourselves and keepignoring is sometimes very hard toanswer. A good place to start wouldbe to have a better platform foralumni. As President Rasul hasrecognised, the University has notalways made a conscious effort tokeep track of its alumni. We canstart with building a strongerAlumni Affairs Office in theUniversity. As for our role as alum-ni, let us start with a very basic ges-ture: if we can all contribute at leastUS$ 100 a year (that’s less than 30cents a day), it would amount to

US$ 150,000 for the University.This endowment can work towardsscholarship programmes for deserv-ing students and towards buildingmore academic programmes. Thiscould just be the beginning of therole of the alumni not to mentionthe enormous intellectual potentialthat can be tapped.

In this time of financial uncer-tainty and brain drain in the devel-oping world, let us reflect on wherewe are heading in our own livesand do a little soul searching beforewe worry about that flat screen TV.

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This is a new feature highlighting the achievements of distinguished alumni. Faiz Bhora speaks with Nayyar Iqbal,MBBS ’90.

What helped shape yourselection of a career while you wereat AKU?

It was really a process. I did notgo to medical school thinking that Iwould become an endocrinologist. Ialways wanted to be a physicianwith a broader reach. At theUniversity, I was very much attract-ed to the concept of public healthand its wider impact. However, aftera lot of discussion and deliberationwith my friends, family and men-tors, I decided to start my career ininternal medicine but have alwayswanted to expand my role above andbeyond traditional patient care.

Now, after you finished AKU,can you tell us very briefly aboutyour training and then your academ-ic appointments?

I did my internship at AKU andthen came to Chicago and did myinternal medicine residency fromUniversity of Illinois, Chicago.

From there, I went to Indianapolisand completed my clinicalendocrinology fellowship atIndiana University Medical Center.My wife got a fellowship spot atthe University of Pennsylvania, sowe moved to Philadelphia in 1997and I did a research fellowship at

Temple University Hospital,Philadelphia. Thatyear turned out tobe extremely pro-ductive in terms oflearning theresearch tools andalso developing aninterest in the fieldof obesity and Type2 diabetes. Thatinterest brought meto the University ofPennsylvania/PhiladelphiaVeteran Affairs

“Our first class is matricu-lating this year. Many ofthose kids who wouldhave remained illiterateare now proudlydiscussing theircollege plans. We haverecently started a scholar-ship fund for students(especially girls) whodecide to study further(which is stronglyencouraged).”

Medical Center faculty in 1998where I stayed till 2008. I currentlyhold an adjunct faculty appointmentat the University of Pennsylvania(Penn).

Tell us about your work at Pennand your move to the pharmaceuti-cal industry.

I helped set up the section ofendocrinology at Philadelphia VA,which is now a fully integrated aca-demic programme with theUniversity of Pennsylvania. I con-tinued my research work in the fieldof obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Ithink the most important work wasthe study of the effects of a low car-bohydrate diet in obesity. The mainfindings were published in the TheNew England Journal of Medicineand later in the Annals of InternalMedicine. While at Penn, I also didmy MSc in Clinical Epidemiologyand am continuing to participate intwo longer term research projects atPenn. Some of this data will be pub-lished in the next few months.

At Penn, I was actually very

13

well-funded. I had been there formore than eight years, and I had atleast eight different research projectsgoing on. But at the same time, Ineeded to do something more,something more challenging andwith a wider reach. I was looking atother options. I was offered theopportunity to join a team of veryqualified researchers (at a localpharmaceutical company) to study anovel first in humans, glucosuriccompound for the treatment ofType 2 diabetes. After a lot of angst,I decided to take the plunge … and Imust say that I have no regrets (atleast so far).

Tell us exactly where you fit inin your team and what is your pre-cise role?

My title is Director of GlobalClinical Research and the majorityof my time is spent in designing andconducting global phase III trials. Iam responsible for the publicationand presentation of data generatedfrom these trials. I am also involvedin the development of new diabetesand obesity compounds which arecoming through the pipeline.

Tell us about the work you andyour wife, Nuzhat, are doing inPakistan regarding early education.

Nuzhat’s father has a small

farmhouse inNilore, about 25kilometres outof Islamabad,and he opened asmall school inhis garage whenhe moved therein 1999. Wetook over thatschool in 2001and since then,we have built anew buildingthat is now afully staffedsecondary

school. In fact, our first class ismatriculating this year. Many ofthose kids who would haveremained illiterate are now proudlydiscussing their college plans. Wehave recently started a scholarshipfund for students (especially girls)who decide to study further (whichis strongly encouraged). We alsoopened a school in Mansehra,NWFP. We are collaborating withanother organisation in interiorSindh, where wehave three addi-tional primaryschools. So, wehave a total ofabout 700 chil-dren in fiveschools gettingquality educationat a nominal costin the poorestareas ofPakistan.

I must addhere that thiswas only possi-ble because ofgenerous helpand support ofmany of ourfriends and fami-ly members whohave continuedto support theibtida (a begin-ning) school net-

work, www.ibtida.org, during allthese years.

We started this project with abudget of US$ 2,000. Now ouroperating budget is about US$35,000 a year. As the projectexpanded, we started a not-for-profit charity organisation in theUS. All of our work is voluntaryand our administrative cost is only2 per cent, otherwise 98 per cent offunds are spent on these projects.The money is raised through per-sonal contacts, emails, fund raisersand the website. We have verycommitted and reliable peoplewithin Pakistan to oversee all thework and accounts. Our work inthose areas has truly been a hum-bling experience and certainly putsthings into perspective.

Photos courtesy of ibtida.org

The nominees for the DistinguishedAlumni Series are chosen by theeditorial board based on recom-mendations from representatives ofvarious academic units.

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“Graduands, you will be regarded as part of the pioneering team of the Institute who took a boldapproach to establishing the role of the humanities in the study of Islam.” - President Firoz Rasul.

AKU

The Institute for theStudy of MuslimCivilisations (ISMC)held its very firstgraduation ceremonyin February 2009,when 11 graduateswere awarded theMaster of Arts inMuslim Culturesdegree in London.AmbassadorSaidullah KhanDehlavi, Chairman,Board of Trustees ofthe University, inau-gurated the event.

In his welcomeaddress, PresidentFiroz Rasul pointedout that ISMC is thefirst academic unit ofthe University tointroduce the teach-ing of the humanities,to “gain as much aspossible from the dis-ciplines that explorecultures, civilisationsand histories... to open new avenuesfor the understanding of Muslimcivilisations as they emerged in thepast, and to develop the basis forunderstanding the challenges facedby contemporary societies.”

The keynote address was deliv-ered by Professor Nouzha Guessous-Idrissi whose many experiencesinclude extensive work in the fieldsof scientific research and humanrights: she is a biochemist, an acade-mician, former Chairperson ofUNESCO’s International BioethicsCommittee and a founding memberof the Moroccan Research EthicsCommittee of Casablanca, amongother things. Through her work withUNESCO and the International

Bioethics Committee, ProfessorGuessous-Idrissi has had the uniqueopportunity to investigate and begina process of “re-appropriating” herMuslim heritage, with the rationalityrelated to her scientific trainingcombined with her knowledge ofuniversal human rights.

She noted that throughout historyMuslims have contributed substan-tially to the development of culture,education, medicine and science.This period of learning and develop-ment continued until the 10th centurywhen, “Muslims stopped all kinds ofresearch and innovation”, a phenom-ena she qualified as a “divorcebetween Muslims and reason”. Sheexplained that this schism has had

many ramifictions, including thepromotion of “non-thinking andobscurantism” within contemporaryMuslim contexts. ProfessorGuessous-Idrissi concluded that,“It is by introducing rationality andmodern research methods thatMuslim thought can become aliveand continue to evolve; and therebyrecover its place in human thought.”

Dr Abdou Filali-Ansary,Director ISMC, at the conclusion ofthe ceremony, expressed his grati-tude to the entire ISMC family, itsdonors, faculty, staff, senior man-agement and students who, over thelast two years, had worked hard toproduce a successful and well-regarded programme.

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This year saw the first cohort of graduates from the Postgraduate Medical Education programme and the Institutefor Educational Development in East Africa.

at the Kampala Serena Hotel. Theguest of honour, Dr Kenya-MugishaNathan, Director of Health Services,Clinical and Community, Uganda,

warmly congratulated the graduates.She read a speech on behalf ofDr Stephen Mallinga, Health Minister,Uganda, who commended the ANS

There was song and dance at AgaKhan University’s campusesthroughout East Africa as 470 stu-dents graduated from various pro-grammes in the fields ofNursing, Medicine andEducation, in colourful cere-monies attended by students,their families, members of theUniversity’s Board of Trustees,vice-chancellors, senior gov-ernment officials, diplomats,national and international acad-emicians, donors and promi-nent citizens.

At the Nairobi ceremony,held at the Aga Khan Pavilion,the first students to completethe four-year PostgraduateMedical Education programmefrom Aga Khan UniversityHospital, Nairobi, were award-ed Master of Medicine degrees.The chief guest, ProfessorJoseph G Massaquoi, Director,UNESCO Regional Bureau forScience & Technology inAfrica and UNESCO KenyaRepresentative, asked the newgraduates to consider remainingin East Africa, calling the move-ment of health workers to devel-oped countries a disappointingtrend. These graduates stoodalongside 179 AdvancedNursing Studies (ANS) pro-gramme graduates, 85 of whomearned Bachelor of Science inNursing degrees, 76 receivedDiplomas in General Nursingand 18 were awarded specialistDiplomas in Accident, Emergencyand Disaster Management.

In Uganda, the University heldits sixth ANS graduation ceremony

programme and noted that it hasmade a significant contributiontowards improving the quality ofnurses and midwives in Uganda.

Relatives and colleagues cheeredthe 113 students graduating fromthe ANS programme – 55 withBachelor of Science in Nursingdegrees and 58 with Diplomas inGeneral Nursing.

AKU held its fourth gradua-tion ceremony at the DiamondJubilee Hall in Dar es Salaam,with 172 graduates. Under-Secretary General of the UnitedNations and Executive Director,UN-Habitat, Professor AnnaKajumulo Tibaijuka, who wasthe chief guest at the ceremony,noted that in recent years, Africahas experienced the highesturbanisation rate in the worldgrowing at 3.3 per cent. Despitethis, access to health and educa-tion remains poor. UN-Habitatconsiders access to health andeducation among the key indica-tors of progress to sustainableurban development and the fightfor sustainability has to be wonin the cities. She urged graduatesto apply their knowledge andskills and to champion changetowards making local communi-ties more equitable, economical-ly vibrant and environmentallysustainable. Seventy-four stu-dents graduated with Diplomasin General Nursing and 76 withBachelor of Science in Nursingdegrees. For the first time in

Tanzania, Master of Educationdegrees were conferred on 21 grad-uates and a Master of Medicine onone physician.

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Dr Babar Shaikh, Programme Director, and Ms Ghazala Humayun, Senior Programme Officer, Health Policy andManagement Programme, share the successes of Afghan alumni.

Afghan alumni are fine examples of how a university can play a role in building the capacity of thepublic health work force in under-developed and developed countries.

The University’s Afghan StudentsScholarship Programme, initiated in2004, has helped public health prac-titioners access graduate pro-grammes in Health Policy andManagement (MSc HPM) andEpidemiology and Biostatistics(MSc EB) at the Karachi campus.Graduates have returned to seniorpublic health-related positions inboth government and prominentNGOs working in the country.

Of the four graduates from theMSc HPM programme, Dr Rehmat-ullah Niazmal is working as theDisaster Management Specialist

for the Afghan National DisasterManagement Authority North. Theother three work for the Ministry ofPublic Health: Dr Najibullah Safi asthe Programme Manager, NationalMalaria and Leishmaniasis ControlProgramme; Dr Mir Islam Saeed isthe Manager of the Afghan PublicHealth Institute’s Department ofPublic Health and ManagementTraining; and Dr Mohammed HafeezRasooli is the Head of theDepartment of Policy, Strategy andCurriculum Development.

Two other candidates have com-pleted MSc EB degrees: Dr Basir

Welayatee is theNational ProgrammeManager/TechnicalOfficer in WHOAfghanistan’sDepartment ofCommunicableDisease Surveillanceand Response andDr Sayed Ataullah isthe Manager, MentalHealth Project, AKUin Afghanistan.

Currently, the pro-gramme has oneAfghan studentenrolled in the MScEB programme, whowill graduate in2009. Two more areenrolled in the MScHPM programme,and intend to gradu-ate in 2010.

In their currentpositions, these AKUgraduates have hadopportunities to beinvolved in decision-

making in developing national cur-ricula, training health professionals,conducting research, surveyingcommunicable diseases, beinginvolved in technical management,monitoring and evaluating variousprojects and liaisoning betweendonors and development partners.They are a fine example of how auniversity can play a role in build-ing the capacity of the public healthwork force in under-developed anddeveloping countries in order tostrengthen the national health sys-tem and to shape national policyand frameworks.

AKU

17

AKUBasic health awareness session in the Rehri Goth katchi abadi.

MacJannet AwardThe University’s Urban HealthProgramme, part of the Departmentof Community Health Sciences haswon first place in the MacJannetPrize for Global Citizenship, award-ed by the Talloires Network(France) and MacJannet Foundation(US). It recognises exceptional stu-dent civic engagement initiativesamong Talloires Network memberuniversities from around the worldand contributes financially to theirongoing public service efforts.

The Urban Health Programmestarted in 1985, when medical train-ing was limited to hospitals andpublic health efforts in communitiesreceived little attention in Pakistan.The Programme focuses on provid-

ing primary health care and socio-economic support in katchi abadis(squatter settlements) in Karachi byrequiring medical and nursing stu-dents, residents, interns and nationaland international elective students tospend part of their practicum in thesettlements. Students provide basichealth care services and engage withcommunities for research and serv-

ice projects that cover issues likeilliteracy, environmental degrada-tion, domestic violence andwomen’s issues.

As the programme has evolved,residents in these settlements, with acombined population of 85,000,have been motivated to form theirown community-based organisa-tions, initiate micro-credit andcottage industry projects, invest ingirls’ education and women’s skilldevelopment, and advocate withlocal authorities for clean water andsanitation with the help of the stu-dents. The Programme is a modelfor sustainable university-basedcivic engagement and has inspiredsimilar community-based pro-grammes at other local universities.

Many graduates of theUniversity, encouraged by theirhands-on work through theProgramme, now serve in ministriesof health, national and internationalorganisations and academia, contin-uing their commitment to publichealth and poverty alleviation. “Nomatter what professional path theychoose, our students have an orien-

tation that helps shape their perspec-tive, and create leaders who canmake informed decisions in thefuture,” said Dr Parvez Nayani,Head, Community Health Divisionand Senior Instructor, CHS.

New DepartmentsAt the end of 2008 the MedicalCollege and University Hospitalannounced the formation of a newDivision of Maternal and ChildHealth, headed by Dr ZulfiqarBhutta, which will encompass thecurrent Departments of Obstetricsand Gynaecology, and Paediatricsand Child Health. The new Divisionwill focus on the continuum ofmaternal, foetal and child health,with the potential to enhance educa-

tion, clinical service andresearch opportunities inthese areas. The newapproach will be practisedin both the AKUH and AgaKhan Health Service,Pakistan facilities.

Faculty ChangesDr Yasmin Amarsi hasbeen appointed asFoundation Dean, Nursingand Midwifery, East Africaon January 15, 2009.Dr Amarsi is well known inthe East African nursingcommunity through the roleshe played in establishingthe Advanced NursingStudies programme in theregion. She was one of thefounding faculty membersof the School of Nursing,the first PhD nurse inPakistan and Dean of the

School in Pakistan from 2002 toDecember 2008. Though Dr Amarsiwill move away from Karachi, hertenure at the University is far fromover.

Dr Mohammad Khurshid complet-ed his tenure as Dean, MedicalCollege at the end of 2008 andreturned to the Departments of

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Ahmad Adaya

Pathology and Medicine. Under hisleadership, research was further inte-grated into the curriculum; Aga KhanHealth Service, Pakistan, facilitieswere brought into the UniversityHospital system to serve as practicaltraining grounds for medical stu-dents; two new Master-level degrees,in Bioethics and Clinical Researchwere introduced and plans for a state-of-the-art Skills Laboratory werecompleted. May he continue with thecontributions he has made to AKUsince he first joined in 1985.

Dr Farhat Abbas has been appoint-ed as the Interim Dean, MedicalCollege, from January 2009. DrAbbas joined the University in 1985as a resident in the Department ofSurgery and is currently a Professorof Urology. He has served in leader-ship positions at the University inthe past, including Medical Director,Associate Dean Clinical Affairs,Acting Dean Medical College,Associate Dean PGME and ChiefOperating Officer, AKUH, Karachi.

Dr Rozina Karmaliani wasappointed Interim Dean, School ofNursing, in January 2009.Dr Karmaliani, a graduate fromSON, RN ’87, BScN ’91, also hasan MScN from the University ofMinnesota, and has worked withthe University since 1988, mostrecently as an Associate Professorat SON, as well as the Departmentof Community Health Sciences.She was also Director of SON’sMScN Programme.

Dr Khurshid Khowaja, Director,Nursing Services, AKUH, Karachi,and a gold medalist of the Diplomaprogramme, 1984, has completed apostdoctoral fellowship at McMasterUniversity, Canada. Dr Khowajafocused on new patient safety con-cepts and strategies to make healthcare safer. The fellowship gave herinsight into various issues like moni-toring error rates, systemic approach-es towards reducing errors, best prac-

tice guidelines, clinical indicators andpromoting a safety culture amongothers. Dr Khowaja is the first nursein Pakistan to complete the fellow-ship – the highest qualification in thenursing profession. She envisagesmaking the University’s Hospitalssafer through a multidisciplinaryapproach.

Ahmad Adaya FellowshipThe Ahmad Adaya CardiothoracicResearch Fellowship has beenestablished by the Adaya family inmemory of Ahmed Adaya (1927-2006) at St. Luke’s-RooseveltHospital Center and ColumbiaUniversity College of Physiciansand Surgeons. It aims to supportcutting-edge cardiothoracic researchin heart and lung failure, transplan-tation and thoracic oncology (can-cer). The Fellowship is an opportu-nity for outstanding young doctorsfrom Pakistan to achieve the foun-dations for graduate education incardiothoracic surgery, encouraginga generation of outstanding youngdoctors to aspire to the ideals ofexcellence, compassion, humanityand public service.

Born in Bantva, Kathiawar (pre-sent day India), Mr Adaya immigrat-ed to Pakistan in 1947, where hecompleted his educa-tion at KarachiUniversity in 1950and went into the tex-tile industry. On a tripto California in the1970s, he had a heartattack and remainedin the US. Mr Adayawas the foundingpartner of the IDSReal Estate Group, aprominent Californiareal estate company.He also establishedthe Meridian Group,another full servicereal estate company.Mr Adaya was a gen-erous philanthropist

of various social, religious and polit-ical causes. He was instrumental inestablishing the New HorizonSchools, a progressive Islamic edu-cational institution with four branch-es in southern California in 1984.He also sponsored Islamic art exhi-bitions at the Los Angeles CountyMuseum of Art and funded a publi-cation on Islamic artifacts. His lifeand generosity have impacted a gen-eration of Muslims in both the USand Pakistan. Mr Adaya passedaway in 2006 after a courageousbattle with heart disease.

The Fellowship will be direct-ed by AKU alumnus Faiz Bhora(MBBS ’92), Assistant ClinicalProfessor of Surgery at ColumbiaUniversity College of Physiciansand Surgeons. It will provide theannual salary of one recipient fora year. Recipients of theFellowship will be expected topresent their research at nationaland international meetings andpublish their work in top-tierjournals. Candidates will beexpected to join a surgical train-ing programme at the end of thefellowship. Jawad Latif, the firstgraduate of this programme,matched successfully into a cate-gorical general surgeryprogramme in 2009.

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Class Notes highlights important news and events in the lives of alumni.

1988Yasmin Khan, MBBS ’88, is work-ing hard to start a trust hospitalin Bahawalpur.

1994Sabeen Askari (Khalid), MBBS ’94,sends warm wishes to classmates,alumni and her teachers. She lives inMinnesota with her husband Askari(Department of Surgery, AKU) andtheir sons, Bilal and Adnan, 12 and8 respectively, who are both greatbaseball players. Sabeen practisesSurgical Pathology/Cytology andTransfusion Medicine while Askaripractices Emergency Medicine. Shecompleted fellowships in SurgicalPathology and Transfusion Medicineand now works as Director ofTransfusion Medicine/Blood BankService, Pathology Residency/Fellowship Site Director atMinneapolis Veterans AffairsMedical Center. She is also theAssistant Professor of Pathology atthe University of Minnesota, andcontinues to be impressed by thereputation AKU graduates have inthe Minneapolis/St. Paul twin cities.She and her husband both miss andcherish the time they spent at AKU.

1995Rakhshinda Meher, MEd ’95, worksas an instructor at AKU-IED in theStrengthening Teacher Education inPakistan (STEP) project. She is amember of the IED Unit WorkingCommittee and has been involvedwith a number of projects includingthe Balochistan MentoringProgramme, NGO/CBO educationalcapacity strengthening initiatives,IED Professional DevelopmentCentre, Northern Areas, and theUSAID Links to Learning (ED-LINKS) project.

Saeed Nasim, MEd ’95, is a Tutor atAKU-IED and serves as a mathe-matics team member in theED-LINKS project. He has worked

as an academic staff member for aUSAID project and as part of a teamat IED which ran certificate andadvanced diploma courses forteachers in underprivileged areasof Pakistan.

1996Iram Shaikh Farrukh, MBBS ’96, isworking towards completing anMSc in Public Health at LutonUniversity, Bedfordshire, UK.

1997Atif Zaheer, MBBS ’97, completedhis radiology residency at BethIsrael Deaconess MedicalCenter/Harvard Medical School, anda fellowship at Brigham andWomen's Hospital/Harvard MedicalSchool. He is currently an AssistantProfessor in the Department ofRadiology, Johns HopkinsUniversity in Baltimore, Maryland.

1998Takbir Ali, MEd ’98, coordinatesthe STEP project and is involvedwith teaching and research activi-ties. After graduating, he joined theProfessional Development Centre,Northern Areas and received an IEDscholarship for doctoral studies. Hecompleted a PhD from the OntarioInstitute for Studies in Education,University of Toronto in 2007.

1999Muhammad Nadim Farooqui,MEd ’99, is an instructor at IEDand currently works at the ReformSupport Unit, Education andLiteracy Department, Governmentof Sindh; providing technical assis-tance in planning courses for Sindheducation sector managers.

Nadeem Asghar Kirmani, MEd ’99,currently works with IED as aProfessional Development Teacherin the ED-LINKS project, on devel-oping instructional material for theMaster in Mathematics. He also

serves as a member of theEducation Sector Reform Assistance(ESRA) project.

Nighat Fatima Naqvi, MEd ’99,works in IED’s STEP project as theHead of the Department of Science.She has managed different AgaKhan School programmes, workedas a programme associate at com-munity-based schools and wasinvolved in conducting impact stud-ies of the school system-basedVisiting Teacher Programme.

2000Manzoor Hussain Changazi,MEd ’00, has worked as a ProgrammeOfficer for the ED-LINKS projectsince February 2008 and is one ofthe pioneers of the Afghanistan proj-ect. He enjoys writing poetry inUrdu and Persian languages.

Saima Zareen Ahmed, MEd ’00,works as a teacher educator for TheEducators – a Beaconhouse SchoolSystem project.

2001Ayesha Adnan Shaikh (Ashi) isenrolled in Emory University’sFamily Medicine residency pro-gramme in Atlanta.

2002Hamid Bashir is pursuingRheumatology at the WashingtonUniversity School of Medicine, butdabbles with music as a favouritepast time. His latest song Drops ofRain sends a powerful message ofraising awareness about issuesaffecting young children in develop-ing countries. The song can beaccessed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33-LZjWoOkw. Should hekeep his day job, or will he be thenext big lead singer of a famousband – you decide for yourself!

Mahboob Alam is a Fellow inCardiology at Baylor College of

20

Medicine in Houston, and plans topursue Interventional Cardiology.

Muhammad Yusuf, MEd ’02, coor-dinates IED’s STEP activities in theDistrict of Thatta. After graduatinghe worked with different education-al development programmes inSindh, the Punjab and NWFP, serv-ing as a teacher educator, manualwriter and programme evaluator.

Nadeem-ud-Din Qureshi, MEd ’02,completed an advanced diploma inEnglish Language Teaching in 2000from IED. He currently works withIED as a district coordinator for theSTEP project. He worked as aSenior Programme Associate for theUnited Education Initiative and withUNESCO as a ProvincialCoordinator, Sindh.

2004Junaid Ahmed Memon, MEd ’04,works as the District Coordinator,STEP project. After completinghis MEd he worked as VicePrincipal, Academic Coordinatorand Teacher at Mehran EducationFoundation in Karachi, SeniorProgramme Associate/ActingDistrict Coordinator in the UnitedEducation Initiative in Sukkur andas Assistant Director NationalEducation Foundation in Larkana.

Shahzad Shah is in Hershey,Pennsylvania completing his firstyear of a cardiology fellowship andplans to get married thissummer – congrats!

2005Ambreen Kazi completed her resi-dency in Community Medicine fromthe Department of CommunityHealth Sciences and joined AKU asan instructor. Her interests are inmental health and environment andshe has developed a stress scale(registered) for measuring stressamong pregnant women. She is nowthe Chair of the Mental Health andResearch Forum.

Saleem Abubakar (Khanani) com-pleted his residency and laterbecame a faculty member at AKUbetween 1987 and 1992. He movedto the USA in 1992 to completeanother residency and fellowshipand currently practices haematol-ogy/oncology at a teaching hospitalin Worcester, Massachusetts.

Yureeda Qazi, MBBS ’05, is apostdoctoral research fellow inophthalmology, at John A. MoranEye Center at the University ofUtah in Salt Lake City. She isworking on alternative splicing ofthe Flt gene using morpholinos,gene therapy in corneal andchoroidal neovascularisation, andmicroarray analysis of FuchsDystrophy. She is also a member ofthe Student Advisory Committee.

2007Abdul Latif Burfat completed anadvanced diploma in EducationLeadership and Management in2007. Presently he works at IEDas a Professional DevelopmentTeacher for the ED-LINKS project’sHead Teacher Programme.After graduating, he worked withthe Education Foundation as anAcademic Coordinator for theESRA project and as a Social andAcademic Coordinator for ModelSchool project.

Mehwash Nadeem joined AKUas an intern in 2007. She stillconsiders herself a part of the AKUcommunity and misses home.What she learnt at AKU has helpedher cope with many challenges inlife. She cleared FCPS-1 surgeryand is currently doing her residencyin surgery.

2008Dhani Bux Shah, MEd ’08,works as a consultant for theED-LINKS project, planning anddeveloping material and conductingsessions in Educational Leadershipand Management.

Sarfraz Masih, MScN ’08, is oneof four male nurses with MScNdegrees in Pakistan. As a studentin the BScN programme, heachieved a Merit Award in Research.He is one of the first nursingeducators at Liaquat NationalCollege of Nursing, a visiting nurs-ing faculty member at St. JamesInstitute of Nursing and HealthSciences and Karachi Kings Collegeof Nursing. Furthermore, he is amember of Pakistan NursingCouncil, Rho Delta Chapter, SigmaTheta Tau International, the HonourSociety of Nursing at SON. Heparticipates enthusiastically inworkshops, seminars and confer-ences for both his personal and pro-fessional development.

Zahid Ali Jatoi, MEd ’08, works asa Professional DevelopmentTeacher at IED. He has a certifi-cate in English Language Teachingfrom the British Council, Karachi.His thirst for teaching has led himto work in the ED-LINKS projectas an Academic Staff member.

Zaigham Aizad Malik, MEd ’08,works as a ProfessionalDevelopment Teacher in theED-LINKS project. She has aMaster’s degree in EnglishLanguage and Literature from theNational University of ModernLanguages in Islamabad. Her areasof interest in research include thelife histories of teachers, materialdevelopment in English languageteaching and female literacy, withspecial reference to Pakistan andthe developing world.

Please send your updates tosection editor, Faiz Bhora,fybhora@aol.com,

or the Editorial Office,alumni.nachapter@aku.edu. Thesuggested maximum length is150 words. Pictures are wel-come, but must be sent separate-ly as high resolution JPEGdigital files.

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NAME CLASS SPECIALITY CATEGORY PROGRAMME LOCATION

Imran Khalid 2003 Internal Medicine Categorical Harlem Hospital Center New York, NY

Erum Hashmi 2004 Obs/Gyn Categorical Nassau UniversityMedical Center New York, NY

Nausheen Ahmed 2004 Internal Medicine Categorical Univeristy ofConnecticut Farmington, CT

Abdul Waheed 2005 Family Medicine Categorical Penn State-MiltonS. Hershey Hershey, PA

Ammara Aziz 2005 Internal Medicine Categorical St. Francis Hospital Chicago, IL

Ayesha Sajid 2005 Psychiatry Categorical Indiana University Indianapolis, IN

Fareeha Cheema 2005 Internal Medicine Categorical UMDNJ-Newark Newark, NJ

Muhammad AliKhan 2005 General Surgery Categorical

Murtaza Shakir 2005 General Surgery Categorical The University ofNew Mexico Albuqurque, NM

Nyla Hazratjee 2005 Internal Medicine Categorical Cleveland Clinic Cleveland, OH

Ailiya Welayat Ali 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical West VirginiaUniversity Morgantown, WV

Ali Ahmed 2006 General Surgery Categorical New York Medical College,Sound Shore Medical Centre New Rochelle, NY

Ali RazaRandhawa 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical University of

Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH

Ameer AliKhowaja 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical Hennepin County

Medical Center Minneapolis, MN

Anita Naushir 2006 Anaesthesia Categorical University ofArkansas Little Rock, AR

Aqueel Pabaney 2006 Neurosurgery Categorical Henry Ford Hospital Detroit, MI

EkminiWijesinghe 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical Albert Einstein,

Jacobi Jacobi, NY

Fahad Waqar 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical University ofCincinnati Cincinnati, OH

Farah Salahuddin 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical Harbor Hospital Baltimore, MD

Fawad Taj 2006 Psychiatry Categorical HarvardMedical School Boston, MA

Hadi Khan 2006 General Surgery Categorical University ofNew Mexico Albuqurque, NM

Haq Nawaz 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical University ofPittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA

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NAME CLASS SPECIALITY CATEGORY PROGRAMME LOCATION

Imran Ahmed 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical University of Buffalo-SUNY Buffalo, NY

Kashif S.Shaikh 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical The University of TexasMedical School at Houston Houston, TX

Maham T. Siddiqi 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical William Beaumont,Beaumont Hospitals Royal Oak, MI

Malick Islam 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical University of Loiusville Louisville, KY

Monaa Zafar 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical Newark Beth IsraelMedical Center Newark, NJ

Muhammad Rizwan-ul-Haq Khawaja 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical Indiana University

School of Medicine Indianapolis, IN

Munsif Ali 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical Weiss Memorial Hospital Chicago, IL

Nazish Hashmi 2006 General Surgery Preliminary University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA

Nida Rizvi 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical Penn State-MiltonS. Hershey Hershey, PA

Pashtoon MurtazaKasi 2006 General Surgery Preliminary The University of Texas

at San Antonio San Antonio, TX

Rizwan Siwani 2006 General Surgery Preliminary Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN

Saad Hashmi 2006 General Surgery Preliminary Yale University New Haven, CT

Salman SaleemAllana 2006 Internal Medicine Categorical University of

Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI

Shadmeen RafiqueAarbi 2006 Psychiatry Categorical University of Texas

Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX

Umber Zaheer Khan 2006 Psychiatry Categorical New York Medical College,Valhalla Valhalla, NY

Mustafa Raoof 2006 General Surgery Categorical University of Arizona Tucson, AZ

Abdullah Ladha 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical Hennepin CountyMedical Center Minneapolis, MN

Afrasyab Khan 2007 General Surgery Preliminary University of Florida Gainesville, FL

Ahsan Sattar 2007 Neurology Categorical University ofWisconsin-Madison Madison, WI

Ali Hashmi 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX

Ali Imran 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA

Ameer ZaighumRasheed 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical Brooklyn Hospital

Medical Center New York, NY

Ammara Naveed 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical Temple University Philadelphia, PA

23

NAME CLASS SPECIALITY CATEGORY PROGRAMME LOCATION

Faraz Khan 2007 General Surgery Categorical Wayne State UniversityDMC Detroit, MI

Faria Nasim 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical Mount Auburn HospitalHarvard Medical School Cambridge, MA

Hajra Zehra Shah 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical University of Connecticut Hartford, CT

Hina Khawar Jamali 2007 General Surgery Preliminary Huron Hospital Cleveland, OH

Iram Aqeel 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical Albert Einstein, Jacobi Jacobi, NY

Mahim Akmal 2007 General Surgery Preliminary The University of Tennessee Memphis, TN

MuhammadAhsan Zafar 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH

MuhammadAmeen Rauf 2007 General Surgery Preliminary UMDNJ-Newark Newark, NJ

Rashid Zaheer Syed 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical New York Medical College New York, NY

Sahar Fatima Zafar 2007 Neurology Categorical Baylor College of Medicine Houston, TX

Saira Aziz 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical Mount Auburn HospitalHarvard Medical School Cambridge, MA

Sameer Khan 2007 Psychiatry Categorical Long Island JewishMedical Center Long Island, NJ

Samiullah 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical UMDNJ-Newark Newark, NJ

Sana Farooq Khan 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH

Sana Sheikh 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical Caritas St. Elizabeth Boston, MA

Sana Syed 2007 Paediatrics Categorical Duke University Durham, NC

Sana Waheed 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH

Sarah Khalid Khan 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical Louisiana State UniversityHealth Sciences Centre Shreveport, LA

Sumaira Sheikh 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical University of Wisconsin Madison, WI

Tauseef Ur Rehman 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical Hennepin CountyMedical Center Minneapolis, MN

Zarmina Ehsan 2007 Paediatrics Categorical Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine Indianapolis, IN

Zohair Raza 2007 Internal Medicine Categorical Penn State-MiltonS. Hershey Hershey, PA

Momin SaulatSiddique 2008 Internal Medicine Categorical West Virginia University Morgantown, WV

Wajeeha Yousuf 2008 Internal Medicine Categorical University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH

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Aga Khan University Alumni Association, Stadium Road, P.O. Box 3500, Karachi 74800, PakistanTel: +92 21 493 0051, Fax: +92 21 493 4294; Email: alumni@aku.edu; www.aku.edu/alumni

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