Knowledge Society
University of Central Asia to celebrate first graduating class during virtual ceremony
15 June 2021
Mawlana Hazar Imam will deliver a virtual address at the University of Central Asia’s first-ever convocation on 19 June. The ceremony will honour the first class of undergraduate students at the School of Arts and Sciences and will be livestreamed from the University campuses in Khorog, Tajikistan and Naryn, Kyrgyzstan.
NASA and Ismaili Jamat in the US partner for a live event from the International Space Station
12 May 2021
In today’s global environment, engineers, scientists, and inventors from different backgrounds collaborate on a global scale to create the technologies that impact human life on a daily basis. Against this backdrop, the Ismaili Council for the Southwestern US is collaborating with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to host an In-flight Education Downlink live from the International Space Station with Expedition 65 astronaut Megan McArthur on 17 May 2021.
Pandemic perseverance: Pursuing your dreams during Covid-19
26 February 2021
I always saw the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) as a daunting exam; nevertheless, the fact that so many students would be taking it with me physically gave me some sense of moral support, even if that support was coming from strangers.
International students helping others achieve their dreams
29 January 2021
Take any highly successful person and chances are that person had a mentor to guide his or her journey, but when Kenyan-born Azan Virji set out to obtain a world-class medical education in the United States, he didn’t know whose path he could follow.
Building a knowledge-sharing bridge between the USA and Tajikistan during the pandemic
29 January 2021
As the global community faced unforeseen challenges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, schools and universities were required to quickly implement remote learning in order to maintain social distancing and other Covid-19 safety protocols.
Impact and innovation: An educator’s journey into school leadership
29 October 2020
“Education is an equalizer. All of us who are in education, we’re not in there for money. We’re there for impact,” said Shehnaz Wadhwania, currently the founding principal for Abram Agnew Elementary School in California’s Santa Clara Unified School District. Before becoming a school leader, Shehnaz followed a unique career path in education, where she felt she could make the greatest impact.
Student-run nonprofit seeks to close gaps in STEM education
24 October 2020
Everything is made of something. Materials science is the study of what objects are made of – from metals to ceramics and polymers – and why certain materials function the way they do. It is the science that explains why your phone charger is made of the insulator polycarbonate or why a car contains the fireproof material fiberglass in its bumpers, doors, roof, and wheels. Though materials science and engineering (MSE) is not often studied in schools, it is the foundation of all objects in our world.
Crisis as a catalyst: Unlocking opportunities in teaching and education
25 September 2020
Across the world, education has been one of the most severely disrupted areas in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Through the introduction of various online initiatives, the Aga Khan Economic Planning Board (AKEPB) in India has invested in upskilling for teachers, to help them navigate the new world of online education.
Teachers and students of the Jamat embrace remote learning amidst pandemic
1 September 2020
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced teachers and students around the world to make an abrupt transition from classrooms to remote learning as schools, universities, and religious education centres were closed. Teachers redesigned lessons and adapted to the new reality of keeping students engaged virtually. Meanwhile, students adjusted to learning online without the ease of classroom interactions. Ismaili teachers and students around the world have risen to this challenge and are finding ways to embrace remote learning and tap into the opportunities it offers.
Ismaili high school student names NASA’s Mars helicopter
8 May 2020
Ever since Vaneeza Rupani was a little girl, she has been captivated by space exploration. She fed her interest by reading books about space at her school library and visiting the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
TEDx talk at Ismaili Centre shines light on tuberculosis, an infectious threat to learn from
28 April 2020
In his address at TEDxOudMetha, held at the Ismaili Centre Dubai weeks before widespread social distancing was implemented, Dr Salmaan Keshavjee, Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard University and Director of the Harvard Medical School’s Centre for Global Health Delivery, discussed how many other diseases, beyond Covid-19, continue to affect peoples’ quality of life and cause untimely death, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and even curable infectious diseases such as tuberculosis (TB).
Maximising productivity while learning from home
25 March 2020
In response to the global Covid-19 pandemic, many educational institutions have transitioned from in-person to online learning. For students who are used to classroom settings, a different learning setting can pose new challenges, especially when trying to remain productive and motivated. Here are some strategies to adapt to an online learning environment.
