Gilgit: The Aga Khan University’s Professional Development Centre, North (PDCN), part of the University’s Institute for Educational Development (IED), celebrated its 25th anniversary in Gilgit-Baltistan with a renewed commitment to transforming learning in some of the region’s most remote and underserved areas.
Since its establishment, PDCN has gone far beyond traditional teacher training, forging lasting partnerships with schools and communities. This field-based approach has become a hallmark of its work, helping strengthen local capacity and expand access to quality education across the mountainous region.
“For years, this work has empowered teachers, engaged communities, and ensured that even the most hard-to-reach children have access to quality education,” said Dr Farid Panjwani, Dean of IED.
Reflecting on the centre’s two-and-a-half decades of service, Dr Moladad Shafa, Head of PDCN, shared that through its extensive professional development programmes in Educational Leadership, Early Childhood Education, and Whole School Improvement, the Centre has “strengthened over 21,000 educators and reached over 120,000 learners in more than 1,600 schools across the region.”
To commemorate its Silver Jubilee, IED hosted the 13th International Conference on “Raising Children in Our Times.” The event brought together a diverse group of educators, researchers, and community stakeholders to explore the best ways to nurture upcoming generations in today’s complex world.
Keynote speaker Dr Nishat Riaz, CEO of Malala Fund Pakistan, highlighted the transformative power of education, stating, “The ability to access education changes lives. A nation that sidelines its majority population in education is effectively crippling its own development.”
Ghulam Shahzad Aga, Minister for Education Gilgit-Baltistan, and Mr Akhtar Hussain Rizvi, Secretary Education GB, also addressed the gathering, underscoring the shared social responsibility of raising children in mountain-based communities and the importance of early nurturing in shaping human development.
The conference featured several sessions that connected diverse perspectives, from ancient philosophy to contemporary crisis, into a single, compelling narrative on the holistic nature of nurturing a child. It combined isolated findings to frame a continuous journey that connects a child’s physical well-being to their cognitive development and, ultimately, to their fundamental right to safety and dignity.
