ÌìÑÄÉçÇø

(AKU) and its parent organization the (AKDN) are important partners of the ÌìÑÄÉçÇø. AKU is based primarily in Pakistan and East Africa and collaborates with the U of A in the areas of health sciences, education, the arts, and libraries. Student activities have included U of A student participation in internships at AKU.

AKU and the ÌìÑÄÉçÇø share a strong commitment to the public good and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The AKDN network also includes the (UCA), a unique institution established with the support of the governments of Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan. U of A has sponsored student agreements in place with both AKU and UCA.

In addition, the ÌìÑÄÉçÇø has received graduates of Aga Khan High Schools and Aga Khan Academies, including some through the four-year ÌìÑÄÉçÇø Global Citizenship Scholarship designated for graduates of the Academies.

A highlight of the relationship between AKDN and the ÌìÑÄÉçÇø is the 4.8-hectare Aga Khan Garden, Alberta, opened in 2018 at U of A’s Botanic Garden just south of Edmonton during a visit by His Late Highness Aga Khan IV. The spectacular garden, which integrates a contemporary interpretation of Islamic landscape architecture in a northern climate, was developed through the generous support of His Late Highness—a gift in excess of $25 million. It is a symbol of the ongoing partnership between the ÌìÑÄÉçÇø and AKDN—a collaboration that has fostered intellectual, cultural and education exchange for over a decade.

The Ismaili community in Edmonton is actively involved in supporting connections between the ÌìÑÄÉçÇø and AKDN, in particular through the Garden.

In 2009, of law from the U of A and, in the presence of Alberta’s premier, signed a memorandum of understanding establishing cooperation with the ÌìÑÄÉçÇø. In 2019, the ÌìÑÄÉçÇø received a visit by senior members of AKU including their provost, Dr. Carl Amrhein, to discuss further cooperation.