Aga Khan University Partners with Federal Government to Upgrade National Museum of Pakistan and Safeguard Heritage

The Aga Khan University (AKU) has partnered with the Federal Ministry of National Heritage and Culture to upgrade the National Museum of Pakistan. The partnership was formalised through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at a ceremony held at the AKU campus in Karachi.

The event was witnessed by Mr Aurangzeb Khan Khichi Honourable Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture and alongside senior leadership from AKU and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) and other stakeholders.

“Our cultural heritage is the bedrock of our national identity and a source of immense pride for all Pakistanis,” said Hon Khan Kichi. “This partnership with the Aga Khan University represents a transformative step in our mission to safeguard this legacy. By revitalizing the National Museum of Pakistan, we are not just preserving artifacts; we are creating a world-class center of learning and inspiration that will showcase Pakistan’s rich history to the world and foster a deeper sense of unity and connection among our citizens.”

The project aims to upgrade the National Museum of Pakistan through a comprehensive programme of institutional strengthening, with a focus on curatorial enhancement, public engagement, and improved stewardship of the museum’s collections. Through this collaboration, the partners seek to support the museum’s role in preserving, presenting, and sharing Pakistan’s cultural heritage with wider and more diverse audiences.

To oversee these efforts, an Advisory Committee has been established, co-chaired by Professor Anjum Halai, Vice Provost at AKU Pakistan, and Mr Aman Ullah, Director General of Archaeology and Museums.

“Museums play an important role in education in society through promoting an understanding of one’s culture and heritage,” explained Vice Provost, Anjum Halai. “Students and faculty of the newly launched Faculty of Arts and Sciences will play a pivotal role in this project.”

Under the partnership, AKU and other agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) will provide strategic, technical, and advisory support to the upgradation of the National Museum of Pakistan. The project will bring also together the history faculty of AKU’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences, historians at AKU’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilizations in London, and AKU’s Department of Archives in a focused scholarly collaboration.

Dr. Sulaiman Shabuddin President of AKU noted that when His Late Highness the Aga Khan discussed the work of the Aga Khan Development Network in the field of culture and heritage, he returned repeatedly to one word in particular. A very powerful word: Pride. Culture is, he said, “a source of pride. It has the power to inspire and unify an entire nation. And it can reveal that nation, at its best, to the outside world.”

Prior to the signing, leadership from AKU and AKTC toured the National Museum of Pakistan, reviewing its libraries, storage and cataloguing processes, and current curatorial and storytelling practices. This work is rooted in the belief that culture and the arts are vital to social cohesion, education, and improving quality of life for people in both urban and rural settings around the world.