HEC and Aga Khan University have signed a Memorandum of Understanding

The MoU was signed by Dr. Salim Virani, Professor & Vice Provost Research, AKU, and Dr. Noor Amna Malik, Managing Director, NAHE HEC.Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Malik said the partnership reflects HEC’s commitment to enhancing faculty development through innovative digital learning opportunities and strategic collaborations with leading national and international institutions.Dr. Niaz Ahmad Akhtar, Chairman HEC, appreciated the AKU team for their support, encouraged more strategic collaborations of this nature, and stressed the importance of integrating such content into university curricula.Dr. Zia ul Haq, Executive Director HEC, acknowledged the role of AKU leadership and staff for providing the course content and support. He emphasized creating greater public awareness of nutrition issues and added that these courses could, in the future, be offered to university students.Dr. Zulfiqar A. Bhutta thanked everyone involved in making the collaboration possible and expressed hope that the Pakistan specific IGNIT3 courses would help build a nutrition knowledgeable workforce across the country.Under the partnership, AKU has provided seven SCORM compliant nutrition courses for hosting on the NAHE LMS, covering foundational nutrition concepts, assessment and management of malnutrition, as well as intersectoral issues, climate change, and gender. The courses are designed for faculty members ranging from Lecturers and Demonstrators to Professors and Directors.The partnership reflects HEC’s continued efforts, through NAHE, to expand accredited continuing professional development opportunities for university faculty and align academic capacity building with national priorities in maternal, newborn, and child health. The MoU will remain effective until 31 March 2029.