Featured Stories Archives

AKUAANA launches new website and starts Membership Drive

March 4, 2014 By AdministratoR

Dear alumni and students,

We are very excited to announce an upgrade to the AKUAANA website. Significant changes have been made to the look and feel of the website and we think that our members will find more value in it.

We have also started a significant membership drive this month. We are encouraging you and your classmates to become a member of your association. Our goal is to have 10 life time and 10 yearly members from each graduating class. Simply put, the organization cannot thrive until you actively participate in it.

I look forward to meeting you all in Washington DC in the summer.

Faisal G. Qureshi (1993)
President, Aga Khan University Alumni Association of North America
Email:

AKUAANA President’s Message to Alumni: January 2014

January 1, 2014 By AdministratoR

January 1^st, 2014

Dear AKU Medical College Alumni,

Thank you for installing us as the leaders of your Alumni Association for the next two years. We would also like to thank our predecessors who have guided this association as we celebrate 25 years since the first class graduated from AKU in 1988.

There are roughly 1800 AKUMC graduates in North America and they represent the fastest growing segment of all medical graduates from Pakistan. Those of you who follow our website and our Facebook page already know how successful our graduates have been in their adopted homelands. We have some of the youngest professors, most successful academicians and brightest entrepreneurs in the country!

At this juncture, your association AKUAANA has to decide what its future holds. Is it a group that loosely represents very successful physicians in North America and meets once a year at the sidelines of the APPNA summer convention? Or can we be a strong, successful organization that will help shape our collective response to this ever-changing social, political and economical landscape? How can we foster and nurture medical students and new graduates trying to achieve success in this competitive environment? Where and how, can we make our lives and the lives of our families, children and those around us better? Where and how do we give back to the nation that we call our ancestral home?

We don’t pretend to have the answers to these questions, but do believe that when you take some of the brightest minds that Pakistan has nurtured, these answers will come. They will come slowly, incrementally, in fits and starts, but they will come. To do so, we have to engage our alumni and give them a platform to bring forth their ideas and then a mechanism to give these ideas life.

Clearly, none of these goals can be accomplished without active alumni involvement. This participation has to begin with becoming an AKUAANA member and then active participation in all the decisions that we have to make over the next 25 years. We start the membership drive this month, so please join us, encourage others and get excited about the possibilities!

We thank you again for this opportunity to serve the organization and hope that we can live up to your expectations. If you have any questions, comments or thoughts, please reach out to any member of the team.

AKUAANA Administration, 2014 - 15
Designation	Name	Class	Email Address
President	Faisal Qureshi	1993
Secretary	Atif Shafqat	1993
Treasurer	Shazia Hussain	1990
Web Manager	Abdul Basit Saeed	2007

Happy New Year and best wishes,

Faisal Qureshi, 1993
President, AKUAANA (2014-15)

Live Webcast: AKU Convocation 2013, 10:30 am (PST) on Thursday, December 19, 2013

December 18, 2013 By AdministratoR

Dear Alumni, We are pleased to share with you that live video coverage of this year’s AKU Convocation 2013 in Karachi is available as a webcast!

This year’s Convocation will be presided over by the Chancellor, His Highness The Aga Khan. As is tradition, the ceremony will celebrate and honour the fine work of the graduating class by conferring upon them their respective degrees and diplomas. Here is your chance to join in online!

The Broadcast will begin on Thursday, December 19, 2013, 10:30 am (PST) and will be accessible at our web page for the AKU Convocation, 2013.

Please note that the quality of the webcast will be dependent on your internet bandwidth, service provider and location. Also, the University does not have control over any changes effected by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and how that may impact the broadcast. We look forward to having you join the ceremony online!

Best regards,

Abdul Haq Wahedna
Alumni Affairs
Aga Khan University

AKU Convocation 2013, Karachi: Process for Alumni Invitations

December 2, 2013 By AdministratoR

Dear AKU Alumni,

I am pleased to inform you that the AKU Convocation 2013 is being organised on Thursday, December 19, 2013 10:30 am at the Cricket field at the Stadium Road campus. This year, the Chancellor of the University is expected to preside over the Convocation at which accomplishments of the Class of 2013 from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Medical College, and Institute for Educational Development will be acknowledged and celebrated.

This year’s Convocation in Karachi has special significance as, in addition to awarding of degrees, the following important milestones will also be commemorated:

– 30th anniversary of the granting of the University’s Charter
– 30th anniversary of the first graduating class of the School of Nursing and Midwifery
– 25th anniversary of the first graduating class of the Medical College
– 20th anniversary of the inauguration of the Institute for Educational Development

As is customary, a limited number of seats have been reserved for alumni at the Convocation. In order to request an invitation we ask that you kindly complete the following information and email us at alumni@aku.edu latest by Friday, December 6, 2013. Due to stringent security measures in place, we will not be able to process requests beyond this date.

*First name:
*Last name:
Name at Enrollment (if different from above):
Degree(s)/Diploma received at AKU:
Year(s) of graduation:
Present Location (City/ Country):
Mobile telephone number:
Email address:
CNIC (Pakistani citizens) or Passport number (for overseas based alumni):

*As appears on CNIC or Passport

Please note that invitations through this process are for alumni only and do not include spouses or families. Also, as space for the Convocation is limited, in case requests outnumber seats available, balloting will be held to determine invitees, who will be informed by email.

I am also delighted to share with you that an Alumni Reunion is also being planned for Friday, December 20, 2013, details for which will be shared shortly.

Meanwhile, we request you to kindly pass along information regarding the Convocation to all your alumni friends and colleagues with whom you might be in touch.

Best regards,

Louis R. Ariano
Associate Vice-Provost & University Registrar
Aga Khan University
South-Central Asia, East Africa & UK
P.O. Box 3500 | Stadium Road | Karachi 74800 | Pakistan
Tel: +92 21 3486 4440 | Fax: +92 21 3493 4294
Mobile (Pakistan): +92 (0) 345 823 3405
Mobile (East Africa): +254 (0) 738 801 589
Skype: louis.ariano

Asia Chapter of the Medical College Alumni Association: Introduction Letter

September 26, 2013 By AdministratoR

Dear Fellow Alumni,

Greetings from the newly elected office-bearers of the Asia Chapter of the Medical College Alumni Association.

As you know, this election represents the first occasion when AKU’s medical college alumni based in the Pakistan, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific regions have organized themselves into a chosen set of representatives. For this, we are grateful to Sadaf Khan (MBBS ’92), who in her capacity as President of the North American Chapter prodded the Asia-based alumni into action. A steering committee chaired by Hasnain Zafar (MBBS ’91, PGME ‘97) and including Anita Zaidi (MBBS ’88), Asim Belgaumi (MBBS ’89), Adina Sajjad (MBBS ’96), and Sana Nasim (MBBS ‘04, PGME ‘12) oversaw the elections, in partnership with Abdul Haq Wahedna from the university’s Alumni Affairs office.

With the completion of this election, we are embarking on what we hope will be a ground-breaking journey. While being mindful of the challenges ahead, we are also excited by the possibilities created by this novel opportunity to serve the alumni body and to contribute towards the strengthening of our beloved alma mater.

Our vision is to forge a productive and mutually fruitful relationship between AKU and its alumni. We intend to work towards that vision by focusing on three key areas: (a) developing an innovative and interesting platform for alumni-institution interaction and for interaction among alumni; (b) improving the alumni database and establishing robust channels of communication among alumni as well as between the alumni and the institution; and (c) reviewing the existing governance and bylaws to formulate an effective and coherent organizational structure, in partnership with the North American chapter as well as with alumni of other AKU entities.

We will keep you informed about our progress through regular updates. Very soon, you will also be hearing about the alumni activities we are planning, in which we will look forward to your wholehearted participation. For now, please mark your calendars for the evening of Thursday, December 5th in Karachi – more on that shortly!

The steering committee had the foresight to ensure that the Asia Chapter includes representation from each set of medical college programs, including MBBS, PGME, and Master’s programs. We invite alumni from any of these programs to contact us with ideas and suggestions. You can send an email to mcalumni.asia@aku.edu (this is the official chapter account and will be monitored daily). We have also set up a Facebook page.

We may be a fledgling outfit, but we are keen to get moving and we are committed to serve. We are grateful for your trust and confidence, and we look forward to your support.

Saad Shafqat (MBBS ’88) President
Saniya Sabzwari (MBBS ’92) Vice President, Undergraduate
Tayyaba Ansari (PGME ’11) Vice President, PGME
Fyezah Jehan (PGME ’11, Master’s ‘11) Vice President, Master’s
Asad Ali (MBBS ’01) Treasurer
Amyn Malik (MBBS ’10) Secretary

Karachi: September 24, 2013

Office Bearers: AKU Medical College Alumni Association – Pakistan | Middle-East | Asia-Pacific Chapter

September 11, 2013 By AdministratoR

Dear Medical College Alumni,

I am delighted to share with you that the elections process for the newly formed AKU Medical College Alumni Association, Pakistan, Middle-East, Asia-Pacific Chapter was successfully concluded as per schedule on August 30, 2013. The elections itself included a physical voting process as well as an online balloting component which enabled alumni based outside Karachi to participate. With both phases completed, I am happy to share with you names of the chapter Executive Committee:

Dr Saad Shafqat, MBBS ’88 – President
Dr Saniya Sabzwari, MBBS ’92 – Vice-President – Under-Graduate programme
Dr Fyezah Jehan, PGME ’11, Master’s ‘11 – Vice-President – Graduate programmes
Dr Tayyaba Ansari, PGME ’11 – Vice-President – Post-Graduate programmes
Dr Amyn Malik, MBBS ’10 – Secretary
Dr Syed Asad Ali, MBBS ’01 – Treasurer

Foremost, I would like to thank all the candidates, nominees, as well as alumni voters for their participation, which truly reflects their ownership of the alumni chapter.

I further take this opportunity to acknowledge and appreciate the work of the Steering Committee, where my fellow members, including Drs Anita Zaidi (Secretary), Asim Belgaumi, Adina Sajjad, and Sana Nasim, worked diligently and tirelessly to develop, publicise and execute a comprehensive elections process over the last number of months. This committee having completed its mandate to hold elections now stands dissolved.

I would also like recognise the contribution of Ms Charlotte D’Cruze and the Paeditarics and Child Health department for facilitating the steering committee meetings, and also AKU’s Information Services Department, including Mr Amran Chowdhry, Director, and his team, consisting of Kamran Nayyer, Anita Dharani and Karim Karamali, whose support was essential in operationalising the e-voting facility. Finally, our thanks to Alumni Affairs for facilitating the entire elections process.

Please join me in congratulating the Executive Committee and lending our support as they develop and execute a meaningful agenda for their term of office and which will serve as the very foundation for the chapter going forward.

Best regards,

Dr Hasnain Zafar
Chair, Steering Committee
AKU Medical College Alumni Association
Pakistan | Middle-East | Asia-Pacific Chapter

Steering Committee Members:

Dr Hasnain Zafar, MBBS ’91, Residency ’97, – Chair
Dr Adina Sajjad, MBBS ‘95
Dr Anita Zaidi, MBBS ‘88
Dr Asim Belgaumi, MBBS ‘89
Dr Sana Nasim, MBBS ’04, Residency ‘12

AKU-NAMA inviting contributions for upcoming issue

August 1, 2013 By AdministratoR

Reach for your favourite pen or the nearest keyboard and let’s get started!

The magazine will continue to reflect the breadth and depth of alumni experiences and successes and highlight unique attributes and achievements throughout the World. Materials worth contributing are as diverse as AKU’s amazing alumni body! From exciting career options to achievements in research; from initiatives in public service to unusual interests. Letters to the Editor, travelogues, book reviews, opinion pieces in modern technology and trends in education are always welcome! Article length should be approximately 500-600 words and can be submitted at the Article Submission Form on the AKU website.

Accompanying photographs are welcome but they must be high resolution digital photographs (jpeg files over 1 MB). You can submit photos at akunama.photos@gmail.com.

Class Notes: Let your classmates and colleagues know what you are doing – submit material for class notes at the Class Notes Submission Form on the AKU website.

We ask that you kindly forward this mail to friends and colleagues, encouraging them to submit articles. Last date for submissions for the next issue is September 8, 2013.

Please note that the AKU-NAMA is primarily circulated in electronic format. However, a limited number of printed copies will be made available as well. If you would like to receive a paper copy, kindly indicate so on the Update Your Information Form on the AKU website or email at alumni@aku.edu.

Looking forward to your contributions!

Adeel A. Butt
Editor-in-Chief
On behalf of the AKU-NAMA Editorial Board

Contribute to AKU-NAMA

January 10, 2013 By AdministratoR

Contributions for the next issue of the AKU-NAMA to be published in April/May, 2013 are now being accepted. AKU-NAMA continues to reflect the breadth and depth of alumni experiences and successes and highlight unique attributes and achievements throughout the World. So reach for your favourite pen or the nearest keyboard and let’s get started!

Materials worth contributing are as diverse as AKU’s amazing alumni body! From exciting career options to achievements in research; from initiatives in public service to unusual interests. Letters to the Editor, travelogues, book reviews, opinion pieces in modern technology and trends in education are always welcome!

Article length should be approximately 500-600 words. Photographs are welcome but they must be high resolution digital photographs (JPEG files over 1 MB). You can submit articles at the Article Submission Form on the AKU website.

Last day for submissions for the next issue is January 21, 2013.

Please note that the next and subsequent issues of the AKU-NAMA will primarily be circulated in electronic format. If you would like to receive a paper copy, kindly indicate so on the Update Your Information Form on the AKU website or email at alumni@aku.edu.

Dean, Medical College, AKU named Fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences

December 13, 2012 By AdministratoR

Dr. Farhat Abbas: Dean, Medical College, AKU

Dr. Farhat Abbas, Dean, Medical College has been named a Fellow of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences. The Academy, a non-governmental body of distinguished scientists from across Pakistan, serves to advise the government of scientific development in the country. Dr. Abbas’s contribution to the University, the community and the country in the field of clinical practice, medical research and education is exemplary. Members of AKUAANA congratulate Dr. Abbas on this honor.

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