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Aga Khan University team on talent hunt

DUBAI — A high level team of experts from the Aga Khan University (AKU) Karachi recently visited the UAE to shed light on the expansion projects at the AKU and seek talent from the country.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, President of AKU, Firoz Rasul, who has came from Karachi, Pakistan, said that the visit was also meant to garner prospective financial support from donors in the country.

Rasul also revealed that in another two months, the first Ismaili Community Centre in the UAE would open its doors to the public. “We might have a soft opening and later the official inauguration is expected to be done by Prince Aga Khan, Imam of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims.”

“The new centre is a marvellous piece of architecture,” he said, adding that the centre would serve as an anchor to the AKU and help raise awareness in the region.

Rasul said that out of a total $3 million received as donation from the world over, expatriates in the UAE had contributed $300,000 for expansion works of the emergency centre of AKU Hospital, construction work on which is going to start within two months.

“As per our plans, we are expanding the AKUH to include a Faculty of Arts and Science for which we wish to invite both students and professionals. The new campus will be open by 2012 while we plan to set up a representative office in Dubai for those who need guidance,” he explained.

He said that Dubai is a repository of talent and given the proximity, much was expected. “We already have over 50 nationalities working within the Aga Khan Development Network,” he added.

He also explained that the network supported and financed needy patients and students.

“Last year alone, over $4 million was spent on needy patients,” he said. He also said recently AKUH received the Joint Commission International Accreditation (JCIA) from the US which is reflective of the fact that patient care and safety at the hospital could be judged with accredited hospitals in the US.

Rasul said that the AKUH’s representative office in Dubai, which was set up in 2003, had referred over 400 patients from the UAE to AKUH last year alone.