Welcome Address
Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin, President, Aga Khan University
Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim
Our Chancellor, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan,
Our Chief Guest, Princess Zahra Aga Khan,
Chairman Zakir Mahmood and members of the AKU Board of Trustees,
Chairman Amin Mawji and members of AKU’s Uganda University Council,
Leaders, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the University,
Family members of the graduates,
And most importantly, members of the Class of 2024:
As-salaam-o-alaikum, good morning, hamjambo, and welcome to this Convocation. I am so grateful to have all of you with us, and to be celebrating our newest graduates together with you.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have come together at a unique moment in the life of our University. On February 4th, we lost our founder and Chancellor of more than four decades, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. With his passing, AKU lost its visionary guide, its greatest advocate, and a powerful source of inspiration. And the world lost one of its foremost humanitarians. A man of peace and a champion of pluralism, our founding Chancellor worked tirelessly to alleviate suffering, build people’s capacities, and advance the development, in particular, of Africa and Asia.
While we reflect on this tremendous loss, we warmly appreciate the tributes to His Highness from leaders, partners, and friends from far and wide.
This includes, our sincere gratitude, and comforting words received from His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni and from members of the Government of Uganda, and the moving tribute delivered in the Uganda Parliament by the Honorary Deputy Speaker.
We also welcome, with the greatest optimism, tremendous enthusiasm, and the highest hopes, His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan, as the 50th Imam of the Shia Ismaili Muslims, and AKU’s Chancellor. We pledge His Highness our full support as he takes forward the leadership of the Aga Khan Development Network, and we warmly wish him all the success.
Princess Zahra, thank you so very much for joining us as our Chief Guest. Your presence here today and at all our Convocation ceremonies is so deeply appreciated. Ladies and gentlemen, a few weeks ago, when I requested that Princess Zahra consider attending all four of our convocations – an eight-day affair, across four countries – her response was an instant yes. Thank you. And today, we are so delighted to also welcome your children, Sara, who is here with us and Iliyan. AKU has benefitted tremendously from Princess Zahra’s wisdom, leadership, and guidance in navigating challenging environments while pushing forward our very ambitious agenda.
Our founding Chancellor once said that the cornerstone of his vision was opportunity – the opportunity to build a better life for oneself and one’s family. In Uganda and its neighbours, His Highness created opportunities for millions of people through the AKDN. He did so, for example, through the financial services of Diamond Trust Bank and Jubilee Insurance. The clean energy generated by the Bujagali hydropower plant. The tourism supported by the Serena Hotels. The schools of the Aga Khan Education Services. And the hospitals and health facilities of the health agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network.
Here at AKU, he gave our graduates an opportunity they have seized upon – to acquire new knowledge, new skills, and a new perspective on their capacity to lead change.
At our Convocation ceremonies in East Africa in 2015, His Highness asked a memorable question, and the question was: “In the search for Africa’s development, how can any of us forget that throughout human history there has never been greatness without expanded knowledge? And is that not the precise purpose of a great university?” AKU, ladies and gentlemen, will always remain true to this purpose, and to our mission of educating leaders for Uganda and all the countries we serve.
As we reflect on the transformational vision and lessons of our founder, we are united by what he called the most potent force for progress the world has ever known – and that is hope. When hope takes root, he said, optimism can replace uncertainty, cooperation can replace conflict, and stagnation can give way to an unstoppable forward momentum.
Looking out at the members of the Class of 2024, ladies and gentlemen, I see hope taking root – right here, right now!
Today, and in the coming days, at our Convocation ceremonies in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Pakistan, 850 talented individuals will step forward into a new phase in their lives. They are educators, nurses, midwives, and doctors; journalists, media leaders, and researchers. They are men and women of science and scholarship.
They will deliver health care of outstanding quality and compassion to those in need. Provide leadership in clinics, hospitals, schools, media organizations, and civil society. Expand the boundaries of global knowledge and develop innovative, contextually relevant solutions to widespread problems. Study, teach, work, research at some of the finest institutions in their home countries and around the world.
At a previous Convocation, our founding Chancellor described AKU’s graduates as “symbolizing the hopes and aspirations” that millions hold for themselves and their families. He called them “a powerful light.”
What was true then is equally true today. I could not feel more hopeful today, seeing the Class of 2024 bear the lamp of knowledge into the world. This is especially the case given that we have reached a milestone in the history of AKU. Ladies and gentlemen, this year, we will award our 5,000th degree or diploma in East Africa.
Today, AKU in Uganda has arrived at a very special moment – one that reflects the far-reaching vision of our founding Chancellor and his enduring commitment to Uganda.
At Nakawa, the University’s new 60-acre campus is rapidly taking shape. Our academic centre and student housing building will open their doors in just a few months, Insh’ Allah. Construction of the new Aga Khan University Hospital, Kampala, will start soon thereafter. Its Nakawa Specialty Clinic is already open and providing access to advanced diagnostics and care.
As our new campus takes shape, I am conscious of the crucial contributions of His Excellency President of Uganda and the Government of Uganda, which so generously provided the land for the campus. We are also very grateful for the extraordinary support provided by our donors, and by our partners, including the Government of Germany’s BMZ and KfW. Thank you very much indeed.
Graduates, in thinking of your bright futures, I am reminded of the words our Founder addressed to the Class of 2022, at the conclusion of what would be his final Convocation message. I will echo them today.
My wish for all of you is that you will experience the joy of planting hope in people’s lives. The rewards of building bridges of understanding between individuals of different backgrounds. And the thrill of venturing into the uncharted waters where new knowledge is discovered.
The seeds of hope you plant, the bridges you build, and the knowledge you create will be a rich addition to the remarkable legacy our founding Chancellor has left here in Uganda.
Dear graduands, congratulations once again and welcome to the ranks of the alumni of the Aga Khan University.
Thank you very much ladies and gentlemen.
RELATED LINKS
