Date: September 11, 2025
Location: Not Available
Speaker: His Highness the Aga Khan
Source URL: View original on AKDN
Source: AKDN website
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Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Rahim
It is a great pleasure for me to join you in celebrating this milestone in the history of the Aga Khan University, and our partnership with the Government of Uganda. I am also very happy that my sister Princess Zahra and brother Prince Aly are here to share this special moment.
I would like to begin by conveying my deepest gratitude to Your Excellency President Museveni for providing the University with an exceptional site for its campus, and for your steadfast vision and enduring support for this project.
The decades-long partnership between the Government of Uganda and the Ismaili Imamat has enabled our institutions to help improve the quality of life for all Ugandans across the country, and across multiple sectors, including health care, education, banking, insurance, energy, hospitality, and manufacturing.
This investment in AKU’s new academic and student housing facilities, together with its hospital, embody the belief of our late father, which I share, that Ugandans deserve the very best access to international quality higher education and health care.
Our commitment to international standards of excellence will, I believe, bring transformational impact to Uganda and to the region. It is a known fact that poor-quality health care costs as many lives as lack of access to care. My hope is that ambitious young people and skilled professionals will not need to leave their home country to study or practise at the highest level.
Our pursuit of excellence will go hand-in-hand with a commitment to access for the disadvantaged. AKU already provides nearly 60 million dollars annually in financial assistance to patients and students across its campuses.
All of this is only possible because of the generosity, commitment and dedication of our wonderful donors. We are equally grateful to Germany’s BMZ and KfW for their support.
It is my conviction that the creation of this campus will prove to be a significant milestone in the history of higher education and health here in Uganda. Thank you.