International Advisory Committee

An International Advisory Committee (IAC) was established for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences in Pakistan (FAS).  

Its primary goal is to fulfil an advisory function to the Dean, FAS and the AKU Board of Trustees (AKU-BOT) on the strategic positioning, direction, and development of FAS as guided by the University’s vision and mission. IAC provides consultative support in the launch, implementation, and ongoing development and continuous improvement of FAS.  

Key objectives include: 

• Advise on current developments and trends in the global landscape of undergraduate education for the arts and sciences and it​s implications for FAS.
  

• Deliberate on themes and topics of significant strategic interest and/or concern to the FAS and advise accordingly.
  

• Provide consultative support for launch and implementation efforts of FAS through the review of reports and programme materials submitted by Dean, FAS. ​
  

Confirmed Membership (as of February 2022) not including ex officio members

Dr Lisa Anderson

AKU Trustee and Chair of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee; President Emerita, American University in Cairo; and Dean Emerita of the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University​​

Dr Leigh Anderson

Marc Lindenberg Professor for Humanitarian Action, International Development, and Global Citizenship and Associate Dean, Innovation, Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, University of Washington

Dr Shahzad Bashir

Former Director, Center for Middle East Studies and Aga Khan Professor of Islamic Humanities, Departments of Religious Studies and History, Brown University

Dr Robert Gibbs

Inaugural Director of the Jackman Humanities Institute and Professor of Philosophy and Religion, University of Toronto

Dr Asma Ibrahim

Founding Director of the Museum, Archives and Art Gallery Department for the State Bank of Pakistan, Post-doctoral Fellow at University of Wisconsin, and Former Director of the National Museum of Pakistan

Dr Azim Nanji

Special Advisor to AKU Provost; Former Director, Institute of Ismaili Studies; and Former Senior Associate Director of the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies at Stanford University

Dr Sohail Naqvi

Rector, University of Central Asia; Former Vice Chancellor, Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS); and Former Executive Director, Higher Education Commission Pakistan (HEC)

Dr James L. Wescoat

Professor Emeritus; Aga Khan Professor of Landscape Architecture and Geography, Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture; and CoDirector, Norman B. Leventhal Center for Advanced Urbanism at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr Heather Zwicker

Executive Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, The University of Queensland​

Members from Aga Khan University

Dr Sulaiman Shahabuddin

President and Vice-Chancellor

Dr Carl Amrhein (Chair)

Provost and Vice President, Academic

Dr Anjum Halai

Vice Provost, Asia and UK and Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences

Dr Leif Stenberg

Dean, Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations

Dr Farid Panjwani

Dean, Institute for Educational Development, Pakistan