AKU-NAMA - Aga Khan University

meetings. In addition, I providetelephonic and e-guidance aboutvisas, security clearance,residency, fellowship, waivers,jobs, electives, observerships, etcto a number of graduates from allover Pakistan, including AKU. Wehave also negotiated discountedrates for various immigration andvisa petitions with a well knownlaw firm based in Manhattan. Thelaw firm has been gracious enoughto provide answers to many of thequeries I receive. I thank Dr FaizBhora for this contact.We are working on ways toimprove as an organisation withserious focus on the structure. Ourfuture direction includes workingon developing a programme ofvisiting professorship at AKU foralumni based overseas. This wouldinclude maximising participationof North American faculty invarious Continuing MedicalEducation programmes at AKU.We also want to streamline variousmentorship and researchprogrammes in North America.Moreover, we would like topartner with AKU and otherNGOs in Pakistan to supportwelfare and charity projects. TheNorth American Chapter intendsto work with AKU in keydecision-making on alumni issues.We are fully supportive of theproposed celebrations being heldin December 2008 at AKU on theauspicious occasion of 25 thanniversary of the University. Werecognise that membership to theAlumni Association has to beencouraged and with bettercommunication and when thealumni observe solid work beingdone on this forum, we are hopefulthat we would see an increase inboth membership and alumniparticipation.In the end, I feel privileged toserve as President of AKU AlumniAssociation, North AmericanChapter, and am glad that I am apart of the renaissance of theAssociation and am lookingforward to implementing ourplans throughout this year and inthe future. Thank you for all yoursupport.M. Rizwan Khalid, MBBS ’99President, AKU AlumniAssociation, North AmericanChapterSecretary’s ReportDear Friends and colleagues,It is with great pleasure andhonour that I share my thoughtswith my esteemed andaccomplished AKU alumnifamily.Our efforts for the short-terminclude organisation and outreachto strengthen the network of AKUalumni in North America andrevivification of alumni ties withthe University.In the medium-term, we hope torenew our commitment, as AKUgraduates, to activism in the causeof physicians of Pakistani-descentin the US.In the areas of organisation andoutreach, our primary goals areto collect an accurate listing ofAKU alumni in North America,increase the active membershipof AKU Alumni Association,publish a regular newsletter, andto participate as a large, unifiedand integrated contingent at theannual APPNA meeting.Our long-term goals include anAKU Alumni Association thatwill actively contribute to thecontinued academic excellence ofAKU, the pre-eminence of AKUHas an institution of distinction forclinical services and communityhealth, and to the development ofclinical delivery systems in theunderprivileged areas of Pakistan.Clearly, the success of this highlyambitious endeavour isconditional on the support andparticipation of AKU alumnicommunity in North America.And so with much humility, weask for your continued supportand prayers.Atif Jalees Khan, MBBS ’99North American ChapterTreasurer’s ReportDear Fellow Alumni,I would like to extend mygratitude to all active memberswithin AKU alumni communityfor their sincere and selflessefforts; at the same time, I wouldlike to encourage everybody elsewho is not active for one reasonor another, to please come forwardand present any and every concernof yours as well as your ideas andadvice, so that we can all gettogether, pool in our resourcesand work for the greater good ofthe whole community.AKU Alumni North AmericanChapter account has $10,074.53right now, which does not includefurther contributions of $750.00that have yet to be deposited.Talha Malik, MBBS ’99North American ChapterAKU Alumni AssociationFundsAs of December 31, 2007, theAlumni Association account stoodat PKR 30,100. These funds werecollected as Alumni Associationmembership fees through 2007and the account was rolled overto 2008 with the same amount ascredit. No debits were recordedin this account for the entire yearas all alumni-related expenses,such as for Alumni Reunion, etc,were borne by the University.Office of Alumni AffairsAKU Karachi, Pakistan7