The Aga Khan Academy, Nairobi

The Class of 2025 represented a truly multinational cohort, with graduates hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya (Mombasa and Nairobi), Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. Joined by proud family members, close friends, staff and distinguished guests, the ceremony was also live-streamed to nearly 1,000 viewers across East Africa, DRC, India, the United Kingdom (UK), Pakistan, the United States, France, Canada, amongst others. 

Ahead of the ceremony, the graduating class participated in a special pinning ceremony – a new symbolic and memorable tradition in which the graduates were awarded an Academy pin signifying the completion of their time at the school. With this, the graduates not only become alumni of the Academy, but also the wider, multigenerational alumni network of the over 200 Aga Khan schools globally.  

Opening the event, Head of Academy Dr David Howe addressed the graduates with words of inspiration, highlighting the value of their IB education in an ever-evolving world. 

“As the pace of technological change continues to accelerate, all I can assure you is that your IB education – with its emphasis on curiosity, life-long learning, ethical leadership and collaborative problem-solving – has prepared you better than anyone.” 

Chairman of the Aga Khan Education Service, Kenya, Mr Mahmood Manji, echoed the importance of forward-thinking education, quoting His Late Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. 

“'You can have nothing in your pocket… but if you have a well-educated mind, you will be able to seize the opportunities life offers you, and start all over again.'” 

This year’s keynote speaker, Dr Graham Carr, President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia University, delivered a passionate address focused on the importance of diversity, and how education plays hand in hand with strengthening our acceptance and appreciation of different cultures and backgrounds.  

“The kind of education you have received is about developing curiosity, an appetite for inquiry, but also a sense of tolerance and ideally, empathy. Except that tolerance, curiosity and empathy are like muscles – you have to work them. If you don’t exercise them, if you neglect them, they grow weaker, and you lose trust in them. The cost of that weakness and loss of trust is that you become less capable of understanding the world around you, and less able to be the champion for change we need you to be. The promise of education is that it’s about hope – hope for personal achievement and hope for society – and we are all here today because we want hope to prevail even when it seems the reality on the ground is bleak.” 

Graduates from the Class of 2025 have secured placements at prestigious universities in Kenya and around the world, including the University of British Columbia, Strathmore University, Aga Khan University, the University of Hong Kong, Michigan State University, the University of Toronto, the University of Warwick and the acclaimed Polimoda, a fashion school in Italy. 

The Aga Khan Academy, Nairobi remains committed to its mission of shaping ethical leaders of the future – individuals grounded in service, leadership and a global outlook. 

The ceremony is available for viewing on the Academy’s official Facebook and YouTube channels.