Two Chitralis awarded PhD degrees in Australia

CHITRAL: Mir Zaman Shah and Sher Rahmat Khan from Chitral have completed their PhD at RMIT University Melbourne, Australia.

The university conferred upon them the doctoral degrees at a graduation ceremony held at the Marvel Stadium Melbourne on December 14, says a press release.

Mir Zaman Shah comes from Garam Chashma and has previously worked with the Aga Khan Education Service Pakistan (AKES) in various roles, including teaching, teacher education, educational management and leadership positions.

His research titled “Educational Leadership and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in Post-colonial Pakistan” explored the experiences of educational leaders at the Aga Education Service Pakistan in relation to their challenges and opportunities in delivering on the promise of inclusive and equitable quality education.

Mir received the Endeavour Postgraduate Scholarship (Endeavour Leadership Program) of the Government of Australia for doctoral studies. He has been an alumnus of the same university where he completed his Master of Education (Educational Leadership and Management) in 2008. Before this, he did his Master of Education (Teacher Education) at the Aga Khan University – Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED).

Sher Rahmat Khan comes from Buzund, Torkhow, and has worked with ITREB for several years. Sher’s research project was “The cultural politics of curriculum in Pakistan: The challenges for pluralism, inclusion and the UN SDGs in post-colonial context”. This research project explored the ways multiple challenges emanating from colonial legacies, neo-colonialism and extremism are posing significant problems for Pakistan. The research discussed the ways education, informed by the UN SDGs, provides in promoting inclusion and pluralism in meeting these challenges. His previous qualification includes a master’s degree from the Aga Khan University-Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations.

Both Sher Rahmat Khan and Mir Zaman Shah have been engaged in various research seminars, conferences and publications. They along with their other colleagues recently co-authored a book “COVID-19 and the (Broken) Promise of Education for Sustainable Development: A Case Study from Postcolonial Pakistan” which Brill will, InshaAllah, publish in February 2023.