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7-2003

AKU Newsletter : July 2003, Volume 4, Issue 2Aga Khan University

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Recommended CitationAga Khan University, "AKU Newsletter : July 2003, Volume 4, Issue 2" (2003). AKU Newsletters. Book 15.http://ecommons.aku.edu/aku_newsletter/15

THE AGA KHAN UNIVERSITY

NewsletterJULY 2003 VOL 4. NO.2

AKU-IED Open LearningProgramme GoesInternationalIn response to a need for quality distance educationin Pakistan, AKU Institute for Educational Development(AKU-IED) set up an Open Learning programme in 2002 .

The programme aims to make learning more accessible tothose in dispersed geographical regions and to those who facejob and family restrictions. Open Learning (OL) providesteachers with equal access to quality education and enablesthem to continue to acquire professional knowledge and skillsto build their careers.

Contd. on pag e 3

Open Learning prov ides teachers with equal access to quality educationand enables them to continue to acquire prof essional knowledge and skillsto build their careers.

AKU Sets Up Science Laboratoryto Enhance Nursing Education inAfghanistan

Afghanistan faces serious challenges in the areas ofeducation and health care that demand urgent attent ion.Long-term recovery and reconstruction programmes by AgaKhan Development Network (AKDN) are well under way toassist in addressing these issues. The Network's effortstowards restoring the country's health infrastructure receivedan impetus in March 2003, with the inauguration of theIntermediate Medical Education Institute's (IMEI) sciencelaboratory in Kabul , developed by AKU , an importantcomponent of AKDN .

There are currently nine IMEls in Afghanistan . Thesegovernmental institutions have the primary responsibility oftraining nurses , midwives and allied health professionals inthe country. The IMEI in Kabul plays a central coordinatingrole for the provinciallMEls in providing standards, policiesand curricula.

AKU School of Nursing (AKU-SON) undertook the taskof enhancing the operations of IMEI Kabul in order tocreate an acad emic centre of excellence that meets thecountry 's needs for quality nursing, midwifery and alliedhealth personnel training. The facility would therebybecome a trendsetter for other IMEls . The goalencompasses setting educational policies and procedures,revising curricula to an international standard, as well asimproving the learning environment and providingsustained operational support.

Contd. on page 10

UNIVERSITY

Human Development Programme

Effects of Social Environments on Learning Abilitiesin Young ChildrenMany children in Pakistan do not survive infancy, while morethan 30 per cent become physically stunted before their secondbirthday, and 40 per cent und er the age of five aremalnourished. Biomedica l resea rch has demonstrated thedirect impact of prenatal and early childhood experiences onbrain deve lopment, and the influence of the early years onphysical and men ta l deve lopme nt later on in life .Understandi ng the dy namics of Early ChildhoodDeve lopme nt (ECD) is therefore crucia l when designingenrichment programmes for chi ldren. In the Paki stanicontext, not only is there a need for this, but the insightsgained through ECD researc h wi ll a lso establish thefoundation for educating caregivers in the community onchild nurturing and rearing practices.

A two-phase action research initiative is presently beingundertaken by AKU's Human Deve lopme nt Programm e(AK U-HDP). The study will form base line resea rch forAKU-HDP, which is intended to be a precursor to the Instituteof Human Development, highlighted in the 1994 Chancellor's

Contd. on page II

AK U-HDP aims to enhance survival, growth and developmem prospects of i/ifimL<andyoung children. through culturally appropriate; community-based support thatbenefits from associated training. education. advocacy and multidisciplinaryresearch activities.

Medical Research RetreatProblem-oriented Research Focuses on Innovative SolutionsThe Department of Medic ine of the Faculty of Health SciencesofAKU held its second annual Research Retreat in May 2003,with a series of researc h papers highlighting the ongoinginvestigational activities at the University. These includedscientific papers covering certain key health sciences areas,such as gastrointestinal , cardiovascular and kidney diseases,hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and infectious diseases:tuberculo sis, typhoid , malaria, etc.

In the opening session, Dr. Saeed Hamid , Associate Professor,Section of Gastroenterology, presented results on potentialmolecular mechani sm of progressive liver injury in chronicviral hepatiti s. Dr. Shahab Abid , Assistant Professor, Section ofGastroenterology, reported a high prevalence of specificgastrointestinal injuri es associated with various types ofmedicines in Pakistan , and Dr. Amyn Alidina, Acting Chief,Section of Medical Oncology, reported on the local survivaldata from patients with a certain type ofgastrointestinal cancer.

Dr. Fahim Jafary (MBBS, '90), Assistant Professor, Section ofCardiology, made a presentation on factors associated withheart attacks in young adults. He stressed that tobacco controlprogrammes , a decreased intake in clarified butter (ghee),regular exercise, cholesterol screening programmes, andimprovement ·in the level of education are likely to have aprofound effect on the trend of premature heart attacks in the

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Pakistani population. Dr. Fateh Ali Tippo, Fellow, Section ofCardiology, presented his study showing that outcomes ofpatients with myocardial infarction treated at the Univers ityHospital are comparable to those in the western world.Dr. Farhan Tirmizi , Research Instructor, Clinical Trial Unit,reported the results of his study demonstrating that relatives ofpatients with high blood pressure not only have a considerabl yhigher risk of this disease, but that it also affects them at ayounger age. Thus, family members of patients with highblood pressure should be regularly screened for hyperten sion.

Dr. Saad Shafqat (MBBS, '88), Assistant Professor, Section ofNeurology, noted the high risk of strokes among patients withhypertension, and Dr. Mohammad Wasay, Assistant Professor,Section of Neurology, presented safety data on the use ofheparin (blood thinner) for preventing thrombosis of leg veinsin bed-ridden patients with haemorrhagic stroke. Dr. Nadir AliSyed (MBBS, '90) , Associate Professor, Section of Neuro logy,presented a novel, indigenously developed apparatus thatassists patients with certain sleep-related breathing disorders.

In the final session Dr. M. Aslam Khan (MBBS, '94), AssistantProfessor, Section of Internal Medicine, presented data oneffective, low cost, antibiotic therapy in critically illhospitalised patients.

Contd. on page 9

INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

AKU-IED Open Learning Programme GoesInternationalContd. from page I

OL allows flexibility in learning and greater access andindependence for learners, as courses can be conducted oncampus or by distance education. In either case, students areprovided with comprehensive learning resources to study andlearn in a flexible mode. Learning resources normally includeprinted materials written by AKU-IED faculty, readings frombooks or journal articles, audio/videotapes and websites. Theseresources are carefully designed by faculty, in coordinationwith the course designer, and include many activities toenhance learning and assist students in applying their learningin the workplace. Occasional face-to-face tutorials are alsoincluded in O L courses to assist students in making effectiveuse of the learning resources provided to them.

All OL courses are approved in the same way as face-to-facecourses. Stringent quality assurance procedures are applied toensure that learning resources and support services are of thehighest qualit y.

A 'Certificat e in Education' in Environmenta l Education bydistance education is currently under way, with 50 studentslocated in East A frica, Central Asia and Pakistan. Two moredistance education certificate courses were scheduled for Julyand August 2003. A course titled 'Inclusive Education forChildren with Special Needs', written and developed byDebora Kramer-Roy, Senior Instructor at AKU-IED, will beoffered to participants throughout Pakistan.

On being asked what advice she would give to faculty onwriting OL course materials and teaching OL courses,Kramer-Roy said, "The main strength is that it is moreflexible in terms of when you study and in what -sequenceyou read the materials. It also helps the students to becomemore independent in their learning - which is not an easyprocess for most, but very valuable." 'Information andCommunications Technology for Educators (lCT)' will beoffered to teachers in East Africa, Bangladesh, India, CentralAsia and Pakistan. Other courses currently being developedare 'Health Education', 'Educational Leadership' and'Management and Research Methods' .

The OL website serves as a mini-portal into the OLprogramme and provides one place where students located inany geographic region can obtain support, information on OLcourses and can see how taking an OL course could work forthem. The website also hosts password-protected discussionforums and provides students an online forum through whichthey call submit queries, suggestions or discuss problemsthey face while taking an OL course.

There are also plan s to include a staff development section onthe website . This section would contain information forfaculty on writing and developing OL courses, teaching

resources and guidelines for copyright. It would also providea forum where faculty members could share their experienceswith OL , voice their concerns and make suggestions. _

For further information. please visit: httpr//www.iedolu.net.

Mola Dad: First PhD fromNorthern Areas

Brought up In a smallvillage near Gilgit,Pakistan, Mola Dad Shafa(MEd '96) recent ly becamethe first AKU-IEDcandidate from theNorthern Areas of Pakistanto complete a PhD.

Dr. Mola Dad undertookhis doctoral stud ies at theOntario Institute forStudies in Educa tion,University of Toronto ,through a sc holarshipfrom AK U- IED. His

research focused on understanding how a government secondaryschool head teacher in the Northern Areas understood andaddressed the challenges of school improvement.

A part of the first cohort of graduates of AKU-I ED's Mastersof Education programme, Dr. Mola Dad began his career as aprimary teacher, and subsequently joined Aga Khan EducationService, Pakistan (AKES,P). As a head teacher, teach ereducator, and an education officer and programme officer, hedisseminated innovative educational insights on multi-gradeteaching and co-operative learning to hundreds of teachers at thecommunity level in various rural sectors of the Northern Areas .

His work included assisting teachers from government,community, and AKES,P schools , to improve theirinstructional skills, as well as increasing parent involvementin school activities, establishing resource centres in schools,and encouraging student participation in school imp rovementprogrammes.

Hoping to be able to continue to teach and engage in furtherresearch, Dr. Mola Dad anticipates that "the insigh ts gainedfrom my doctoral study will contribute to the uplift ofeducation in general , and the professional development ofhead teachers in particular, in the Northern Areas andelsewhere in Pakistan ." _

3

UNIVERSITY

Faculty and Staff Circle the Globe in 2003Raisa Gul, Assistant Professor and Director,Diploma programme, was invited as apanellist to share the development of AKU­SON's MScN programme in the session on"New Initiatives and Developments inAdvance Nursing Practice and NursePractitioner Roles", at the International CouncilofNurses Conference, in Switzerland, in June.The theme of this three-day Conference wasBuilding Excellence Through Evidence.

In March, at the Comparative andInternational Education Society Conference inNew Orleans, USA, Dr. Muhammad Memon,Pro fessor at AKU-IED, gave a talk on"Context Based Professional DevelopmentApproaches for Capacity Building of Non­governmental Organizations in Pakistan" .

Syed Shamim Raza, Senior Pharmacist,Department of Pharmacy Services, spoke at the23rd International Congress of Chemotherapyon Emerging Threats, Global Solutions in Junein Durban, South Africa, on "ManagingInappropriate Vancomycin Usage by HospitalPublished Guidelines".

Senior Research AssociateAmima Sayeed from AKU­lED, spoke on "ChangingLives Through Profession alDevelopment of Teachers:Muneeza's Story", and SadafRizvi, Senior Research

J Associate, on "Strategies forEnhancing Female Participation in Education - SomeAchievements and Challenges", at the Comparative andInternational Education Society Conference in New Orleans,USA, in March.

At the l03rd annual meeting of the AmericanSociety of Microbiology, in Washington DC,USA, in May, Dr. Anita Zaidi (MBBS '88),Associate Professor, Department of Paediatricsand Microbiology, participated in a workshop onMolecular Epidemiology of BacterialResistance.

Dr. Hammad Ather, Assistant Professor, Sectionof Urology, Department of Surgery, delivered atalk on "Does Size and Site Matter in theTreatment of up to 30mm Renal Stones inChildren Treated by Extra Corporeal ShockWave Lithotripsy", at the 14th European Society ofPaediatric Urologist meeting in Madrid, Spain , inMarch.

Dr. Masood Umer, Senior Instructor,Department of Orthopaedics, won the BestConsultant Paper Award at the InternationalConference of the Pakistan OrthopaedicAssociation at Faisalabad, Pakistan, in January,on "Methotrexate-induced Suppression ofLinear Growth in Mice with Folinic Acid" .

In February, Dr. Pervaiz Hashmi, AssociateProfessor, Section of Orthopaedics, Departmentof Surgery, spoke on "Reimplantation inExtremities", and supervised a one-day workshopon suture technique and microanastomosis undermagnification loupes , at the BangladeshOrthopaedic Association Conference in Dhaka ,Bangladesh,

Dr. Aamir Jafarey, Lecturer and ConsultantGeneral Surgeon, Department of Surgery, andProgramme Coordinator, Pakistan BioethicsProgramme, presented a paper in June on"Pakistan Bioethics Programme: Gateway tothe Islamic World" , at the Third National

.... / Congress of Medical Ethics in Bursa, Turkey.

In June, Dr. Javaid A. Khan, Professor, Section ofPulmonology, Department of Medicine, wasinvited by the World Health Organization as anadvisor to discuss tuberculosis control in theEastern Mediterranean Region, at a meeting heldin Rabat, Morocco.

Dr. Nelofer Halai, Associate Professor at AKU­lED, presented a paper on "Munazza's Story:Understanding Science Teaching andConceptions of the Nature of Science in PakistanThrough a Life History Study", in March at theNational Association of Research in ScienceTeachingAnnualConferencein Philadelphia, USA.

"Advanced Practice Nurs ing: Perspectives andChallenges", was the topic of the keynotepresentation by Madrean Schober, visitingfaculty at AKU-SON , at a symposiumspon sored by the Queen Elizabeth HospitalAuthority in Hong Kong, in February.

Farid Panjwani, Senior Instructor, Institute forthe Study of Muslim Civilisations, travelled toPlym outh, United Kingdom, in April todeliv er a presentation on "Religious Educationin Pakistan: Salvation or Subjugation?" at theConference on Discourse, Power, Resistancein Education: New Directions, New Moves .a

4

MEDICAL COLLEGE

Seminar on Women's Health Issues

Experts Stress Empowerment of Women for Health"In Pakistan, three women die and 40 are permanentlydisabled during childbirth every hour," said Dr. Talat Rizvi,consultant to UNICEF, at the seminar "Adapting the TrainingModules (ATM) for Pakistan", organised by the Departmentof Community Health Sciences (CHS) in May 2003.

Pakistan, as well as much of the region, faces numerouschallenges in the field of community health. The critical onesinclude how to make health service providers more sensitiveto the health needs of women, and making women moreaware of their rights and responsibilities to seek appropriatehealth care. To address these issues, UNDP, World Bank andWHO jointly developed two training manuals. The firstmanual , "Health Workers for Change", suggests ways ofmaking health care providers more sensitive to the healthneeds of women, and the second, "Towards the HealthyWomen's Counselling Guide" , assists women in effectivelycommunicating their health needs . These training manualshave already been successfully utilised in both African andLatin American countries.

The seminar aimed at bridging the gap between healthproviders and the community, by disseminating the findingsof a study jointly undertaken by CHS ; Aga Khan HealthService, Pakistan ; Health and Nutrition DevelopmentSociety; and the Marie Stopes Society. The study sought toadapt the two training manuals to the Pakistani context,providing tools to facilitate a process of empowerment forwomen to address their own health needs.

Dr. Farhat Abbas, Acting Dean, Medical College, AKU, spokeon the poor social status of women in Pakistan, citing the latestUNDP report , where Pakistan ranked l35th out of the 174countries in the gender-related Development Index. He said thatgender disparity prevented women from seeking adequatehealth care for themselves . This, he added, led to a

comparatively poorer health status of women in the country.Members of those communities where the manual was testedalso shared their experiences, as did the partner NGOs .Dr. Masood Kadir, Acting Chair ofCHS, described the studyas a prime example of how such private-public partnershipscould strengthen health service delivery systems in Pakistan .Dr. Fauziah Rabbani, Head of Health Systems Division,CHS , said, "This is a first step towards initiating a process ofempowering women to address their health needs ."

The investigation in Pakistan provided many insights ongender inequalities and their effect on women 's health .Women were perceived as caretakers of the household whilemen were the breadwinners. Women were eage r to learnmore about reproductive health and nutrition. However, theirprime, and usually inadequate, source of informationremained their husbands and mothers-in-law. Women werealso generally dissatisfied with health care services due totheir poor quality, high cost and the often non-caring attitudeof health care providers. On the other hand , health providersidentified lack of adequate management, gender sensitisationtraining, and inadequate incentives as main impediments toproviding quality care. In response to these findings , it wassuggested that health care providers reflect on their practicesand overcome shortcomings, to improve the quality ofmedical care.

The approach followed in Pakistan is documented separately inthe manual "Initiating Women's Empowerment for Health", andmoves a step further to facilitate the process of reflection andanalysis amongst community members, related to women'shealth and empowerment. It also provides strong evidence thatthe adapted manuals can strengthen the health care system inPakistan . The areas in focus are provider-client relationships,problem-solving abilities and better informed health seekingbehaviour on the part of the client. •

I

Pakist';I1, as well as I11l1ch ofthe region, faces num erous challenges in the fie ld of COl11l7l11 l7 ity health. The critical ones include ho w to make health serviceproviders 1110re sensitive to the heal th needs ofwomen. and making \I'0111e111110re lIlm re oftheir rights and responsibilities to seek appropriate health care,

5

UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Endocrinology: An Evolving Speciality in Pakistancompleting her tra ining in USA, Dr. Lubna Zuberi, an AKUgraduate (MBBS '88) , recently joined the section as AssistantProfessor.

The Section ofEndocrinology takesspecial pride in itsteaching programmes,which train med icalstudents and residents.

The first to initiate afellowship programm ein Endocrinology inPakistan , the secti onprovides adv ancedtraining to internistswho have alreadycompleted their post­graduate qualificationssuch as MRCP, FCPS orDiplomate of American

......... Board of Internal

Medicine.

The comprehensive Sectionof Endocrinology at AKUincorporates clinical care,postgraduate teaching andresearch, and has become a . :,

replicable model for other Dr. Lubna Zuberi, Ass istant Professor.

national medical institutions.• is a recent addition to the section

With the objective of producing full y tra inedendocrinologists, this two-year programme involvesrotations at Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) in thesections of Neuroradiology, Nuclear Medicine, Paediatr icEndocrinology, Chemical Pathology and ReproductiveEndocrinology/ Infertility.

The section is actively involved in imparting ContinuingMedical Education to general practitioners in the field ofendocrine and diabetes, and has been conductingprogrammes in Karachi and the interior of Sindh province.Furthermore, it has taken responsibility for educatingnurses and patients, particularly in diabetes and thyroidrelated disorders. A monthly diabetes awareness programmeis conducted at AKUH, focusing on the variousaspects of diabetes and itscare. Additionally, thesection is involved inclinical research, as well ascollaborating with theDepartment of Biologicaland Biomedical Sciences inbasic research.

D,: Naj mul Islam, Associate Profess or.

Dr. Abdul Jabber, Associate Professor, and Head ofthe section.

Dr. Abdul Jabber, Associate Professor, heads the section. Hehad been away on a one-year training leave at SheffieldUniversity, UK, for research work and publications sincemid-2002 . Dr. Naeemul Haque, the first consultantendocrinologist in Pakistan to be trained in USA , is an activemember of the section, providing full support and advicefrom his extensive experience in th is discipline. After

Since its inception in 1999, the Section of Endocrinology atAK U has provided quality patient care and education.Presently, with three full-time and one part-time faculty, andwith an expected addition of a full-time faculty fromSeptember 2003 , the section is one of the busiest outpatientcare providers among the Hospital's clinical departments.Thesection also offers numerous sub-speciality clinics, includingDiabetes, General Endocrine and Bone Metabolism. Lipid ,Thyroid and Obesity clinics are scheduled to start in 2003.

"With the commitment of our faculty and fellows and fullsupport from nursing and allied services, the Section ofEndocrinology has been able to provide the highest standardsof outpatient care to those with complex diseases, such asdiabete s and thyroid disorders," says Dr. Najmul Islam,Associate Professor. Dr. Islam, a graduate of Dow MedicalCollege, did his postgraduate training from UK before joiningAKU . He subsequently went for further training in clinicalwork and research to the Department of Endocrinology, St.Bartholomew's Hospital , London.

AKU has played a key role in the evolution of this field in thecountry. The endocrinologists at AKU have taken the lead inestablishing a professional body, the Pakistan EndocrineSociety, for academic activities and increasing awarenessabout th is field .

Endocrinology is a branch of medicine that deals withdiseases resulting from hormonal imbalances in the body. InPakistan , it is increasingly being recognised as an importantspeciality both among physicians and the general public.

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UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Dr. Tanveer SpearheadsNew RaeJ.iologicalProcedures in Pakistan

one-and-a-half-hour life-saving endovascular coilingprocedure on a 57-year old female patient under generalanaesthesia. Dr. Tanveer says, "The endovascular coilingprocedure offers tremendous benefits to patients, as we canprevent an aneurysm from rupturing.".

Sakina recovered rapidly after the procedure and wasdischarged three days later, and continues to contributetowards the upkeep of her family. •

The Patient Welfare Programme provided Rs. 8,890 (US$148) towards the cost of treatment. The remaining Rs. 8,891(US$ 149) was donated by "The Patient Behbud Society forAKUH", started by a group of the University's wel l wishersand friends, through which 'zakat' contributions are receivedand disbursed to the deserving.

\I

One evening, whilecoming home from themarket, Sakina wasthrown head first on to the hard pavement when a car crashedinto her. An unconscious Sakina was rushed to a nearby clinic,where her head wound was treated by a general practitionerand she was discharged after regaining consciousness.However, her fever would not abate, and she complained of asevere migraine, nausea and itching on her head.

At her aunt's insistence, her mother brought her to Aga KhanUniversity Hospital (AKUH). Sakina was adm itted anddiagnosed with a severe skull infection caused by maggots inher wound. This required immediate debridement - a processof cleaning an open wound by removal of foreign material anddead tissue, so that healing may occur without hindrance. Thecost of admission and treatment was Rs. 17,781 (US$ 297) .Sakina's physician advised the family to consult the Hospital'swelfare officer, who, after reviewing the case, assured thefamily of all possible support.

Patient Welfare Programme

Sakina Gets a New Lease onLifeSakina lives with her ~':'

parents, a younger jj.brother and an ailing ~':

grandmother in a small ~0

hutment in Muslimabad, ~~

Karachi . Her fathermakes a living byselling rosaries andcrocheted prayer caps,earning about Rs. 100(US$ 1.66) per day .Along with her parents,four-year old Sakina isalso an expert rosarymaker.

Endovascular treatment involves insertion of a catheter intothe femoral artery in the patient's leg, navigating it throughthe vascular system under X-ray guidance, into the head andinto the aneurysm. Tiny platinum coils are then threadedthrough the catheter and into the aneurysm, obstructing bloodflow into the aneurysm and preventing further damage.

In April 2003, Dr. Tanveer ul Haq, Associate Professor,Department of Radiology, successfully carried out the first

A second new procedure performed at the University Hospitalwas endovascular coiling on a brain aneurysm. Brainaneuryms are an abnormal ballooning of an artery, andaccount for about 20 per cent of all strokes. Left untreated,they can cause major damage to the brain, or death. Acommon treatment is surgery, in which a section of the skullis removed so that the aneurysm can be clipped to stop theflow of blood. This technique has high morbidity andmortality rates . However, endovascular coiling, as aminimally invasive procedure, is an excellent alternative tosurgery since it avoids the additional stress of recovery frommajor brain surgery for the patient.

Dr. Tanveer 111 Haq, Associate Professor, Department ofRadiology. carriedalit the first one-and-a-half-hour life-saving endovascular coilingprocedure on a 57-year oldfemale patient.

Neurointerventional radiology is a medical specialty dedicatedto the treatment of vascular disease involving the centralnervous system using the latest minimally invasivetechnologies. Tiny flexible catheters from within blood vesselsare used to access vessels in the brain and spinal cord tosuccessfully treat numerous disabling diseases without the needfor more invasive and traumatic open neurological surgery.

The Radiology Department strives to provide the mostmodern diagnostic and interventional modalities available,and is often the first in the country to offer such services.Most recently, the department has begun neurointerventionalradiology. It also performed the first brain aneurysmendovascular coiling procedure in Pakistan.

7

INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF MUSLIM CIVILISATIONS

Dr. Filali-Ansary: Contributing to a BetterUnderstanding of Muslim CivilisationsDr. Abdou Filali-Ansary is the Director ofAKU Institute for theStudy of Muslim Civilisations (AKU-ISMC), London, UK. Ascholar of Islamic studie s and philosophy, Dr. Filali-Ansary wasthe Director of King Abdul-Az iz Foundation in Casablanca for17 years, where he helped develop an internationally renownedlibrary and research centre.

Dr Filali-A nsary obtained his PhD from the Faculty of Letters,University of Dijon , France. His work centred around twoimportant European philosophers, Baruch Spinoza and HenryBergson . This was part of his lifelong interest in ethics and thefound ations of soc ial orde r. After a brief detour into publicadministration, he returned to his academic interests with atran slation of Ali Abde lrraziq' s work, "I slam and th eFoundations of Polit ical Power" . His present interests spanfrom issues in Muslim education to concerns of globalsignificance such as pluralism , democracy and civil society.

With what objectives was AKU-ISMC established?

AKU-ISMC was established to answer a need within Muslimsoc ieties for modern scholarship that take s into account theideals and aspi rations of contemporary Muslim s as well astheir lived and historical exper iences. Muslim thinkers of thetwentieth cen tury have all unanimously stressed the cr iticalimportance of educat ional reform as a move towards societaland cultura l reju ven ation . AKU-ISMC will att empt tocontribute towards fillin g this gap by offering some practicalprogramm es that may address these need s. It is in thi s contextthat AKU-ISMC wi ll see k to strengthen the stud y and researchin all aspects of Muslim soc ieties and their heritage. It will be,at the same time, concerned with the issues of governance,soc ial order, poverty, gender and education.

How will AKU-ISMC serve as a bridge between the Eastand West, tackling contemporary issues facing Muslimsocieties? What challenges do you foresee?

Although I understand the purpose of your question, Iwould like to start by que stioning the notions of "East" and"West" as they are commonly understood. The growinginterco nnectedness and overlapping of different cultures andtraditi ons is an undeniable fact ; we are all in conversation witheach other. Today, for example, there is a very significantpresence of Muslims in Europe and No rth America, and fromthat fact alone, we can no longer talk about "East" and "West"as formi ng separate spheres. By building on existing mode rnscholarship accumulated by Muslims and non-Muslims andthrough adopting a scholarly approach, AKU-ISMC willattempt to shed new light on some of the most hotly debatedissues in the contemporary "shared" world. In th is way, it willact as a crucible that would bring together reasonably mindedpeople who respect ethical principles taught by all worldreligions . Whi le doing so, we expect to face many challenges,the first and foremost of these being our own desire to be a

8

creative institution. The second important challenge will beto find adequate ways of communicating with Muslim s andnon-Muslims in a manner that would show that throughseeking knowledge and a better understanding of Islam ictraditions, we come clo ser to the ideal s of Islam anduniversal ethics.

What do you think are the key intellectual, cultural andsocial challenges faced by Muslims?

It may be fruitful to appreciate that such challenges exis t atthree levels: the most universal of these is the level at whichwe confront issues of global significance; these include, forexample, deve lopmental and environmental issues andconcerns of war and peace. At another level, we face issueswhich are of particular relevance to us as Muslims; these are todo with meaningful interpretations of the Quran, therethinking of Muslim legal traditions and a coherent andrational understanding of our traditions. The third level islocal, where one has to recogn ise diversity within the MuslimUmmah itself; and the problems faced by people in theirpart icul ar geographical co ntexts. Co nfronte d with thesechallenges, what we are seeking here is a new way of thinkin g,which mobili ses adequate resources from our cultures andsocieties and respond s to the needs of the time.

What innovative activities and programmes will theInstitute provide?

We are curre ntly conce ptualising and design ing variousprogram mes. Based on the reco mmendatio ns of the TaskForce which provided an overall direction for the Instit ute, aswell as deliberations with various consultative groups, we haveidentified three areas of intervention. The first of these areeducational programmes, where we wi ll seek to offerinnovative courses on Musl im civi lisations. These courseswill cater to the needs of a wide range of audiences includingearly and mid -career professionals . The seco nd area is thatof research and publication where AKU-ISMC wi ll engagein analysing issues of significance, some of whic h I have

INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF MUSLIM CIVILISATIONS

mentioned earlier. The third area of focus will be thedissemination of knowledge about Muslim civilisationsbeyond the circles of 'formal education'. In this manner AKU ­ISMC will seek to generate discussions among scholarlyaudiences as well as the general public in various parts of theworld.

In the context of the challenges we discussed and theactivities of AKU-ISMC, what emphasis would there beon the notion of pluralism?

Pluralism is an attitude towards diversity and difference ofopinions which values the plurality positively instead of"tolerating" it or even rejecting it. It has emerged as one of themost adequate ways of facing realities of human facts andambitions . Now, in what may be described as a post­ideological era, it is no more possible to stick to monolithicviews in situations related to human affairs. How to adoptpluralism as a value is a challenge for Muslims and non­Muslims nowadays. AKU-ISMC will contribute to thethinking about the benefits as well as challenges of pluralismby harnessing some of the best minds in the scholarly worldand organising programmes that will creatively explore thenotion of pluralism. Furthermore, all AKU-ISMC's activitieswill have the ideals of pluralism embedded within them,which means that they themselves will reflect a diversity ofviews and interpretations.

What are your future challenges both as Director of theInstitute and as a scholar?

One of the most important challenges for me as the Director ofAKU-ISMC is to bring together the best available professionalsand have them work together. I will also have the challenge offollowing the works and debates that are emerging in variousfields of relevance to AKU-ISMC and keeping informed of theintellectual and cultural evolutions in Muslim societies.•

Approaches to Pluralism inMuslim ContextsIn May, 2003, AKU Institute for the Study of MuslimCivilisations (AKU-ISMC) organised the second in a seriesof seminars entitled "Approaches to Pluralism in MuslimContexts". The seminars aimed to explore the concept ofpluralism and issues related to it, particularly in the context ofMuslim societies.

Approximately 30 participants, including academics andprofessionals in the UK, attended the seminar. In his welcomeaddress, Dr. Filali-Ansary, Director of AKU-ISMC,articulated the Institute's vision of bringing together scholarsfrom various schools of thought to have open and meaningfulintellectual encounters. "There is a need for intellectuallysound debates that can lead to practical and viablerecommendations for promoting pluralism as a value," he said.The seminar speakers, Professor Jonathan Ree and Professor

Ridwan Al-Sayyid, approached the top ic from aphilosophical and historical perspective, respectively.Professor Ree, a writer and philosopher based in the UK,examined some of the theoretical constructs underpinning theconcept of pluralism. He traced its intellectual genealogythrough the works of Locke, Voltaire and Berlin, arguing thatpluralism is very hard to distinguish from re lativism. Hesupported his argument through a historical survey of thenotion of tolerance and truth as understood in the westernintellectual tradition, particularly in modern times.

Approaching the topic in an empirical fashion, Professor Al­Sayyid from Beirut, described the trends and movementswithin twentieth century Muslim intellectual discourse,grappling with the question of plurality, tolerance and thestatus of 'the other'. His presentation provided a glimpse ofthe dynamism with which Muslims have dealt with the issueof pluralism and how they continue to do so today.

The two presentations were followed by a discussion whereparticipants shared their views about academic institutionsand the role of intellectuals in Muslim societies. A discussionensued about the causes of a lack of creative thought inMuslim contexts and the catalytic role that Muslims inEurope and North America should play in reviving criticaland creative thought in societies with majority Muslimpopulations. Two more seminars are planned for 2003 .•

Medical Research RetreatCon/do from page 2

Dr. M. Irfan, Fellow, Section of Pulmonology, prese nted resultson drug susceptibility patterns of mycobacterium causingdisseminated tuberculosis, and Dr. Aasima Yawar, Fellow,Section of Endocrinology, presented findings on the elevatedrisk of bone disease in patients with diabetes. An additionalforty research projects were displayed in a poster exhibitionduring the conference, highlighting various clinical problemsrelevant to Pakistan. Drs. Fahim Jafary and Nadir Ali Syedreceived the award for best oral presentations, and Dr. TazeenJafar (MBBS, '90) for the best poster presentation. Dr. TasleemAkthar, Chairperson, Pakistan Medical Researc h Council,delivered the Retreat's keynote address on "Clinical Researchand its Impact on Population Health in Pakistan". Dr. TazeenJafar, Chair of Research Committee, Department of Medicine,highlighted the significant contribution of the Department ofMedicine to the research productivity in South Asia, and therecent strategic measures taken to further increase co llaborativeresearch with institutions within Pakistan and abroad .

Commenting on the day's proceedings, Department Chairman,Dr. Wasim Jafri, said, "This meeting represents Aga KhanUniversity's, and the Department of Medicine's commitmenttowards research and innovation . Original research of highcalibre was presented by the faculty of the Department ofMedicine. Such a conference is unique in its nature in Pakistanand the Department of Medicine is proud to maintain the lead insuch research endeavours, which would lead to advancements inmedical science and improved health of our population .".

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UNIVERSITY

Enhancing NursingEducation in AfghanistanContd. from page I

Dr. General Soheila Sediq, Afghanistan's Minister for Hea lth,chief guest at the inauguration ceremony of the sciencelaboratory at IMEI Kabul, noted that "The governmentrecognises the role ofIMEI as a focal point in capacity buildingof health care professionals in Afghanistan." She also alludedto the challenges set for the School ofNursing in January 2003,when her delegation, comprising officials from WHO andIMEI administrators, soughtAKU's assistance in the rebuildingof IMEls across Afghanistan.

In her welcome address, Dr. Yasmin Amarsi, Dean, AKU-SON,said, "Already in three months, several milestones have beenachieved in our work in Afghanistan. These include theinitiation of curriculum review of nursing and midwiferyprogrammes, setting up of a computer laboratory and computerand English classes for administrators, faculty and students.Today is certainly another high point." The laboratory willoffer state-of-the-art technology to teach science to nursing,midwifery and allied students, with the opportunity for them toenrich their education with practical laboratory experiences.Dr. Amarsi acknowledged the assistance of several donoragencies such as WHO, USAID and UNICEF, that haveserved as staunch partners in AKU's efforts towards thereconstruction of IMEls.

Intermediate Medical Education Institute's science laboratorv in Kabul ,developed by AKU-SON, was inaugurat ed by Dr. General Sohei/a Sediq (2ndfro m right) , Afghani stan's Minister for Public Health.

The event was also attended by US Ambassador toAfghanistan, Robert Finn; Director for Policy and Planning,Ministry of Health, Afghanistan, Dr. Abdullah Sherazi; andother senior representatives of international agencies.

In his address, the US Ambassador to Afghanistan announcedUSAID's commitment of US$ 100 million over a five-yearperiod for the health sector in Afghanistan, "primarily for healthclinics in the rural areas to reduce the maternal and infantmortality rate." The President of IMEI, Dr. Khalil Musadiq,

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appreciated AKDN's work in Afghanistan as well as AKU for itswork with the IMEls .

Over the next five years, AKU plans to extend technicalassistance and institutional capacity building support to severalregional IMEIs, to further strengthen human resourcedevelopment in Afghanistan. a

I,7 r..

The laboratory will offer state-of-the-art technology to teach science tonursing. midwifery and allied students.

Syrian Delegation VisitsAKUThe Syrian Government, which regards AKU School ofNursing (AKU-SON) programmes as a model for qualitynursing service and education, sent a five-memberdelegation to the University in April 2003, with the objectiveof acquiring a better understanding of AKU and its existingprogrammes.

The delegation included Dr. Riwa Dahman, Director ofNursing, Syrian Ministry of Health; Aleem Walji, AKDNProgramme Coordinator and Dr. Shahira Deebeh, AKDNvolunteer and liaison to the Minister of Health.

Expressing her views, Dr. Riwa Dahman said, "Our time inPakistan was indeed valuable and laid the foundation forcontinued partnership between the Syrian Ministry of Healthand AKU. She said that collaboration would begin in the fieldof nursing, "...where we feel we have much to learn fromefforts to improve the quality of health care by investing innurses" . Aleem Walji stressed that AKU was an intellectualresource, and should be seen as an important instrument tofacilitate the effective functioning and optimum utilisation ofhuman resources in the Syrian nursing sector.

Earlier, the delegation met with Shamsh Kassim-Lakha,President ofAKU , who said that AKUH Nursing Services andAKU-SON were looking forward to providing capacitybuilding and technical assistance, with a strong emphasis onquality and with a view to building linkages with theappropriate Syrian institutions, which could carry thedevelopment agenda forward .js

UNIVERSITY

Dr. Laetitia J. King Appointed Regional Director ofAdvanced Nursing Studies Programme, East Africa

~c

Dr. Laetiti a J. King wasappointed Regional Directorof the Advanced Nur singStudies Programme (EastAfrica) in June 200 3.

She is a Doctor of Literatureand Philosophy in NursingScience from the Uni versityof South Africa, where, asProfessor, she headed theDepartment of Advance dNurs ing Sciences, and alsoth e WH O Co lla boratingCe ntre fo r Postgr aduate

Distance Educa tio n and Research for Nursi ng andMidwifery Development. Dr. Kin g has held facult y andmanagement positions at severa l other inst ituti on s in SouthAfrica .

Dr. King has been an intern ational consultant and advisor forWHO and numerous other intern ational organisations in thefields of midwifery, community nursing science, healthservices management and nursin g education. Her areas ofacademi c int erest and ex pe rtise inclu de nur sing andmidwifery education through di stan ce learning, thedevelopment of human resources for healt h as we ll ascommunity participation in health ca re delivery.•

For more in/ormation, pl ease visit:hllp://\t 'II'I \'.aku. edl l/soll /pl'Ogra!11lllCs/illlpgilldex.shllll l

Human Development ProgrammeContd. .frO!11 page 2

Commission Report as a futur e programme of the Univ ersity.The first phase was co nducted in 20 02 und er the auspicesof the Depart ment of Community Health Scie nces and Schoolof Nursing, and investigated factors in differen t socia lenv ironments that affe ct the learn ing abi lit ies of chi ldren.More than 1,200 children aged 0 to 3 yea rs in an urb an andrura l po pulatio n of 35,000 in Sindh, pro vid ed va luablebase line dat a fo r AKU- HDP's community-based EC Dcomponent.

In collaboration wi th Aga Khan Health Service, Paki stan ,and the Hea lth and Nutritio n Development Society, an all­female field team of 14, including cl inica l psyc hologists,physicians, sociologists and community hea lth nur ses,collected information over a fi ve-m onth per iod, relating toenvironments, learning ab ilit ies and psycho -socia ldevelopment status of the chi ldren. Chi ldre n we re assessedthro ughobservation of phys ica l growth, soc ial behaviour andlanguage, as we ll as by a parent quest ionnai re on health ,nutrition, economic co ndit ions, soc ial interaction, stimulationand play. A mixed met hodology was used, comprising bothqualitative and quantitative compo nents.

Some of the information on chi ld rearing practices wascollected in focus groups conducted with mot hers , fathers,older siblings and grandmothers . In both rural and urbanareas , fathers perceived the mse lves as providers rather thancaregivers, being more attached to their sons than theirdaughters. The son was seen as eventually taking his father'splace, whereas the daughter was expected to leave the familyunit after marriage. Adolescent girls caring for you ngersiblings were also found to be frustrated wit h this addedburden, which often resulted in very poor care of infants and

yo ung ch ildren. As an adolescent girl sa id, "Girl s are born totoil. " However, it was found that such differentials in theupbringing of children were not significa nt enough to createa gender bias in ter ms of deve lopme nta l de lays . Theinvest igation rep ort docu me nte d delayed psych omotordevelop ment in 27 per cent of children aged 0-2, with theprop orti on increasing with age , reachin g 40 per cent at age 3.Thi s trend was more pron ounced among rural children.

Phase Two of the EC D study is focusing on evo lving

effective community-based parentin g and ECD models, and

useful moni torin g tool s, to address childre n's phys ica l,

intellectu al, emotional, socia l, language and psychomotor

development in a hol istic mann er.

AKU -HD P aims to enha nce surviva l, growth and

development pros pects of infants and young children, through

culturally appropriate, community-based support that benefits

from associated training, ed ucat ion, advocacy and

multidisciplin ary researc h act ivities. While funding for the

program me is curre ntly being met by AKU and Aga Khan

Foundation , Pakistan (AKF,P), for longer term development,

proposals are under discussio n with the Canadian International

Development Agency, under their Pakistan Social Institutions

Development Project, managed by AKF, P.

AKU-HDP will work with communities, partners, and

national and international EC D specia lists in Pakistan and

the wider region, to evolve a longer-term prog ramme in

hum an deve lopment throughout the life cyc le, initial ly

thr.ough a focus on the unborn child and the ea rly years. •

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UNIVERSITY

AKU Special Lecture SeriesMarker, Gulgee and YusufiLeave Fans SpellboundThe University's special lecture series features talks byprominent personalities, with the aim of providing studentswith a broad-based education to enrich their understandingand appreciation of the humanities and social sciences.Faculty, staff and the general public also benefit from thisinteraction with personalities of international repute.

Jamsheed Marker: Pakistan and the UN

Ambassador Jamsheed Marker, fo rmer Special Advisor to the UN SecretaryGeneral, speaking on "Pakistan and the United Nations" at AKU auditorium.

In January 2003 , Ambassador Jamsheed Marker spoke on"Pakistan and the United Nations". During his distinguishedcareer, Ambassador Marker has served as the Special Advisorto the UN Secretary General and Pakistan's ambassador toUSA, Russia , Japan, Germany and Scandinavia. In hisspeech, he dwelt on the current political and social situationacross the globe and elaborated on the UN's workings andstructure, as well as its peacekeeping function.

Ismail Gulgee: An Artist's Tribute to God

Surrounded by students and art enthusiasts, Gulgee signs autographs after his slidelecture titled "Art and an Artist ".

At the followin g lecture in the serie s, held in March 2003 ,renowned Pakistani artist Ismail Gulgee spoke on the creativeprocess and his own work as an artist's tribute to God . The

audience, visibly moved by the artist's sincere passion andlove for his work and all creative endeavours, enjoyedviewing Gulgee's prolific work through a slide presentation.His works ranged from formal portraits of well-knownpersonalities in lapis lazuli to free flowing calligraphicexpressions,

Mushtaq A. Yusufi: A Blend of Humour and Wit

Mushtaq Ahmed Yusufibeing greeted upon arrival by (L to R): Munnawar Hamid.member of AKU Board of Trustees; Ambassador Saidullah Khan Dehlavi,Chairman Board of Trustees, AKU; and Shamsh Kassim-Lakha. President. AKU.

More recently in June 2003 , well -known humorist MushtaqAhmed Yusufi entertained over 700 appreciative listenerswith his talk, "Dialogue on Humour". Delivering his lecturein Urdu , the wit and natural charm ofYusufi's oration and theimmortal punch lines delivered in the form of conversationswith colleagues, as well as well-known characters from hisbook, kept the audience in continuous fits of laughter. •

For more info rmati on, please visithttp ://www.aku.edu/news/archives/p age l.shtml

SCHEDULE OF EVENTSSeptember - November 2003

Seminars and Conferences• National Health Sciences Symposium 2003 Sep 22 - 23• Third Seminar on Approaches to Pluralism Oct 25

in Muslim Contexts , in Karachi• Encylopaedias in Muslim Societies, in London Nov 14 -16

Continuing Medical Education

• Workshop on Obstetrics and Gynaecology Sep 12• Workshop on Typhoid Oct 29 - 30• Seminar on Management of Common Psychiatric Nov 25 - 27

Diseases

'Signs, Symptoms and Care' -Public Health Awareness Programme• Cancer Care: Early Detection Can Lead to Cure Sep 6• Gastroenterology Oct II

Publi shed quarterly by the Public Affairs Departme nt, Aga Khan University. Stadium Road. P o. Box 3500, Karachi-74800 , Pakistan.Telephone: (92) 21-493-0051, Fax: (92) 21-493 -4294, email: public.affairs@aku.edu http ://www.aku.edu Printed at <€> Elite Publishers Limited, Karachi.

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