The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) have renewed their partnership to enhance access to high-quality education across the Global South and advance educational research and development. The renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by Princess Zahra Aga Khan and Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General of the IB, outlines a framework for collaboration across various educational levels and initiatives.
The agreement is on early childhood, secondary, undergraduate, and graduate education as well as professional development for teachers. The partnership is among AKDN's key agencies, including Aga Khan Schools (AKS), Aga Khan Trust for Culture, Aga Khan University, and the University of Central Asia, working together to achieve shared goals.
Key priorities under the MoU include:
- Developing curricula that address the changing needs of learners.
- Innovating the tools of teaching, learning, and assessment toward 21st-century skills
- Advancing new pedagogies in teacher professional development
- Building student engagement through social responsibility
It is not just about providing education but more so about delivering it in concert with advocacy, recognition, graduate education, and research. Both these organizations are expected to align the efforts to empower both students and teachers as agents of positive change.
"AKDN and the IB share a commitment to advancing high-quality education across diverse communities", said Heinonen. "By aligning our expertise in curriculum development, teacher growth, and community engagement, we will empower students and educators as agents of positive change. The IB is proud to support the AKDN's mission of fostering global citizenship and social responsibility through innovative educational practices".
The Aga Khan Princess, Zahra, emphasized that this partnership would continue to improve societal conditions through education. "This renewal of the AKDN's agreement with the IB reinforces our long-standing relationship and strengthens our continued work based on a shared belief in the ability of education to achieve societal improvement", she stated.
The partnership is an extension of the successful relationship which started in 2010, when AKDN and IB signed their first MoU. It was through the first MoU that curriculum materials were developed which addressed the needs of students in the Global South while exploring Muslim civilizations. These curriculum materials were applied by teachers of AKS' IB schools and IB World Schools across the globe.
Throughout the years, the partnership of AKDN with IB has availed professional development for educators, mainly in Africa. Since 2010, Aga Khan Academy Mombasa has been an external provider of IB workshops for teachers in the process of becoming IB certified. Moreover, Aga Khan Academies, being a constituent institution of AKS, was authorized by the IB to award IB Education Certificates to its graduates of Teacher Preparation Programme.
The renewed MoU reflects the alignment of values and goals between the two organizations, including shared commitment to pluralism, quality education accessible in underrepresented regions, and inquiry-based approaches to teaching and learning.
Looking ahead, AKDN and the IB aim to expand their collaboration, ensuring that high-quality, culturally relevant education reaches students across diverse communities. By fostering global citizenship and empowering educators and learners, the partnership seeks to drive innovation and societal progress through education.
