In addition to the AKDN Diplomatic Representative and his wife, the Minister of Education and Human Development (MINEDH) was received by the Director of the Aga Khan Academy Michael Spencer.
During this visit, the Minister and her delegation had the opportunity to visit the existing facilities: (i) the primary school and its library that includes a multimedia room, (ii) the student residential buildings, (iii) the science building constituted by eight fully equipped laboratories, (iv) the sports centre consisting also of the competition pool, training pool and (v) the recreational and leisure areas. The Minister also had the opportunity to see the construction in progress: (vi) two other residential buildings for senior students, (vii) the administrative building, (viii) the Commons and (ix) the secondary school library.
The Minister interacted with students and teachers during classes, received information regarding the project, its mission and vision, the curriculum, the guiding strands, the training of Mozambican teachers in the IB curriculum taught by the Academy, the work developed by the Academy Professional Development Centre. After the visit, the two parties had the opportunity to meet and discuss matters of common interest.
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During the visit, the Minister of Education and Human Development Rita Carmelita Namashulua said that “education is key to the country’s development. The country’s challenges are well known, particularly with regards to quality services. (...) This project, as it has been said, will form future leaders for the country.” AKDN Diplomatic Representative Nazim Ahmad stated that “what we are seeing today on this visit to the Academy is the realisation of a long-standing dream, discussed between President Chissano and His Highness the Aga Khan, which deserved the continued support of the state authorities, with emphasis on the Ministry of Education and Human Development.”
The Academy currently has approximately two hundred and ten students and upon completion of the construction of the entire project, it will have the capacity to teach 750 students, from which 300 of the residential programme. The Academy, which teaches the International Baccalaureate curriculum, is bilingual Portuguese-English in teaching, and offers the residential regime to cover all provinces of Mozambique and other countries.
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The Aga Khan Academy Maputo, opened since 2013, is part of the global network of the Aga Khan Academies created by His Highness the Aga Khan in key locations in Africa, Central and South Asia and the Middle East. The aim of the Aga Khan Academies is to guarantee access for girls and boys with merit, talent and leadership potential, to an education of international standard of excellence. Students are selected on a merit basis, regardless of their socio-economic background, race and creed. Financial support is assessed and provided so that the lack of means does not limit its access.One of the particularities of the Aga Khan Academy Maputo is its Professional Development Centre, established in 2009, which seeks to reinforce and extend the quality of education through professional development to national educators and through models of best practices. The high-quality programs taught by the Professional Development Centre focus on the acquisition of content, pedagogical skills, teaching techniques, interactive learning and teaching methodologies centred on the student. It collaborates with 16 primary schools (11 of which are located in the district of Matola and 5 in the district of Boane). Since 2010, these programs have directly benefited more than 700 education professionals and indirectly more than 1,300 teachers and 100,000 students, all from the network of 16 public schools. 979 direct sessions were held at the Academy's facilities and 400 at the respective Pedagogical Influence Zones.Linked to its academic programme, the guiding principles of the Aga Khan Academies involve 5 crucial strands: Ethics, Pluralism, Economy for Development, Cultures, and Governance and Civil Society.
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The Aga Khan Academies Unit is one of the education agencies from the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). Founded by His Highness the Aga Khan, AKDN is a group of private, international, non-denominational development agencies working in the areas of environment, health, education, architecture, culture, microfinance, rural development, disaster mitigation, the promotion of private-sector enterprise, and the revitalisation of historic cities. The AKDN works in 30 countries around the world. It currently operates over 1,000 programmes and institutions – many of which date back over 60 years, and some over 100. It employs approximately 96.000 people, the majority of whom are based in developing countries.The AKDN’s annual budget for non-profit development activities is approximately of USD 1,000 million. Its economic development arm, the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), generates annual revenues of USD 4.5 billion, but all surpluses generated by its project companies are reinvested in further development activities, usually in fragile, remote, or post-conflict regions
