AKU-EB recognizes High Achievers of 2016

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

A total of 162 top students from all over the country were recognized for their outstanding performance in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) examinations, held by the Aga Khan University Examination Board, at their high achievers award ceremony in Karachi on November 15.

A large number of parents, school principals and teachers were present at the ceremony to appreciate and encourage the high achievers. 

"We are proud of our AKU-EB graduates, many of whom have successfully obtained admissions to renowned national and international universities. It is heartening to see the impact that the Examination Board is having on our society by being a model of excellence and innovation in education for Pakistan,” Firoz Rasul, President AKU, remarked. 

Girls topped the SSC examinations with the overall first position awarded to Alina Fatima from Al-Murtaza School, Karachi and Hira Naz from Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Kuragh, Chitral. In second position was Ruhaina Nadeem from Nasra School, Karachi and the third position was awarded to Shehla Tanveer from Maryam Siddiqa Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Chiniot and Maryam Ihsan from Nusrat Jehan Academy Girls High School, Chiniot, Punjab.

Hira Naz, one of the award winners, said: “An AKU-EB candidate has enough opportunities to demonstrate creativity through innovative ways of learning. I learned how to apply my learnings in daily life which made me confident about the knowledge I have. The high level of accuracy and transparency in AKU-EB is also a great source of confidence and motivation for candidates.” 

Among the HSSC candidates, Areej Al Medinah from Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Karimabad, Karachi, secured the overall first position, while Areeba M. Amin from Habib Girls School, Karachi stood second. Fatima M Asad Khan also from Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Karimabad, Karachi, secured the overall third position.

“With AKU-EB's application, understanding and knowledge scheme discouraging the rote system, we have successfully been instilled with the ability to comprehend and tackle real life problems and issues,” Areej Al Medinah observed while receiving her award. 

The winners of the AKU-EB Bridge Scholarship were also announced at the ceremony. The merit cum need-based scholarship, generously funded by the Fancy Foundation, is offered to AKU-EB SSC graduates and funds two years of HSSC education at an AKU-EB affiliated school or college in Karachi. 

“With more than 10 years of experience, AKU-EB has produced over 30,000 graduates and today these high achievers have also joined the parade by demonstrating with their excellent performance that they are future leaders and policy makers,” the chief guest, Jameel Yusuf,. Chairman, TPL Holdings and President of the ‘I am Karachi’ initiative, stated. 

“AKU-EB students demonstrate the ability to use critical thinking and problem solving skills to understand ideas and bring them to reality,” he added. 

“At AKU-EB we continue to strive and maintain consistency to attain international benchmarks. We must stay engaged on our essential role to inspire and develop versatile individuals who are responsible, articulate, who can think for themselves, form their own opinions and are empowered to take their place in leadership roles,” Dr Shehzad Jeeva, Director, AKU-EB, reckoned while presenting the vote of thanks.

The Hub School: Fulfillment of a cherished dream

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Hub School, a not-for-profit boys’ boarding school of excellence, has started its operations with 50 students thus making a cherished dream of the Ahmed E H Jaffer Foundation a reality.

Its inaugural batch of 50 students from all over the country has set the ball rolling as The Hub School, situated on the outskirts of Karachi in the vicinity of Northern Bypass near Sindh-Balochistan border, aims to forge a national identity and consciousness by fostering close links and cooperation amongst all students as Pakistanis. 

"It will not only create a middle-class for future good leadership and good governance in all fields but will also produce young boys with character, discipline and integrity for a better world and a better and more prosperous Pakistan,” Abdul Kader Jaffer, the present President of Ahmed E. Jaffer Foundation and a former Pakistan's High Commissioner to UK, stated in an exclusive interview. 

"Education is a Jaffer Family legacy to Pakistan. The Islamia School in Pune was founded in 1907 by Ahmed E H Jaffer’s great grand Father Khan Bahadur Haroon Jaffer,” he recalled and explained that his grandfather Sir Ebrahim Haroon Jaffer organized the first Muslim Educational Conference in 1920. His late-father Ahmed E.H. Jaffer introduced reforms as a member of the Indian Legislative Assembly in 1940 and later after partition in the Pakistan Legislative Assembly he raised several bills and motions for improvement and increase in the allocation for education.

“By the Grace of Almighty Allah, The Hub School has become operational and the classes have commenced. We have begun our journey with special prayers for the prosperity of the country, school and for the wellbeing of our respected donors,” Abdul Kader Jaffer, President of The Hub School, said. 

He informed that after return from UK on completion of his assignment as Pakistan High Commissioner from 2000 to 2003, he had been working on this most challenging task of setting up a boarding school initially for 135 boys to be gradually increased to 800 boys in the next 5 years, followed by a boarding school for girls and finally a University of national stature on 240 acre of land donated by the family besides Rs 50 million in cash. 

According to him a dormatory for 135 boys is in use while another dormatory for 135 girls will be ready by next year to start boarding school for girls which will start from next academic calendar in August 2017. 

“The Hub School is the first boarding school in this area which will provide quality education to all on merit. We believe providing quality education to our youngsters is the only viable alternative to curb extremism and to produce leadership in all fields from young men and women who are broad-minded and enlightened,” Abdul Kader Jaffer, who founded the Ahmed E H Jaffer Foundation in 1996, observed.

“It is our mission to provide quality education to our younger generation at the Hub School as per the high standard available in USA and UK. I am sure we will be able to achieve these objectives with the kind and generous support of all our friends, relations and well-wishers both in Pakistan and abroad,” he hoped. 

“The objective of the Ahmed E H Jaffer Foundation is to work mostly but not limited to in the fields of education, healthcare and sports and for this purpose raised a fund of over Rs 800 million from generous donors in Pakistan and abroad,” he shared. 

He remarked that the institution has a Board of Governors comprising of quite a few eminent personalities like Aitzaz Shahbaz, Shahnaz Wazir Ali, Lt Gen Tanwir Hussain Naqvi, Ghazala Nizami, Ismail Zakaria, Mian Mukhtar Ahmed, Aliuddin Ahmed, Dr Pirzada Qasim Raza Siddiqui, Dr Masuma Hasan, Professor Haroon Rasheed and Professor Mohammad Rais Alvi. 

He revealed that the Board planned to meet on November 21 in which some important matters concerning The Hub School will be discussed.