Prepared by MALIK MERCHANT
(Publisher-Editor Simerg, Barakah, and Simergphotos)

[Includes material from multiple sources; a new addendum to the obituary has been added on March 8, 2020, following a feedback from Nazir Kassamali of Edmonton, who joined Nazeer Ladhani’s team at the University of Central Asia (UCA). We thank Kassamali for his input, which shows the significance of Nazeer Ladhani’s contribution at UCA at a critical juncture of its development path. – Ed.]

Simerg has learnt with profound sadness the untimely death of Nazeer Aziz Ladhani at the age of 72, in Nairobi, Kenya. According to an extensive obituary dedicated to him in The Globe and Mail, one of Canada’s most widely read and respected newspapers, Nazeer passed away in his sleep on February 19, 2020. Written by Ian Smillie and published under the title “International development agency CEO Nazeer Aziz Ladhani had a mischevious energy” (subscription may be required to read piece), the obituary is a tribute to the exceptional individual he was and the magnificent services he rendered to the Aga Khan Development Network and its numerous agencies in Canada, Asia and Africa.

Guy Pfeffermann, a long time friend of Nazeer, notes on the website of Global Business School Network (GBSN), that “I loved Nazeer. He was a gentle man, and one of the most learned I ever met on almost any subject. People loved to listen to him speak. In 2014 he sat on a panel of business school deans and other outstanding academics at the prestigious Online Education Berlin conference. He spoke last, and the participants were so enraptured by his Renaissance Man discourse that they just didn’t want to leave; the next group who had booked the room had to wait outside until, reluctantly, he let the audience go.”

Nazeer Ladhani’s Contribution to the Ismaili Imamat

Nazeer Ladhani worked in many senior roles with the Aga Khan Development Network and its agencies. He was the Project Director for Graduate Professional Education for Aga Khan University in East Africa, which includes the Graduate School of Media and Communications (see photo, above). He also served as the Director General of the University of Central Asia, a unique, internationally chartered higher university focused on the development of mountain societies, with purpose-built world class residential campuses in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan, and Khorog, Tajikistan and (future) Tekeli in Kazakhstan. Nazeer will be fondly remembered in Canada as the founding Chief Executive Officer of Aga Khan Foundation Canada (AKFC), which he led from start-up to a premier private international development agency in Canada. While at AKFC, Ladhani led efforts to establish the Global Centre for Pluralism in Canada.

Nazeer was born on August 20, 1947 in Tanganyika (now Tanzania) to a farming family. He went on to earn an agricultural diploma in animal husbandry from the famous Egerton University in Kenya. He then completed a series of designated accounting certificate programs, and also pursued an Executive Program at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He later earned an MBA from INSEAD, the prestigious business school at Fontainebleau, just outside Paris.

Nazeer leaves behind his wife, Gulabi; daughters, Noor Niyar and Aliya Begum Ladhani; sisters, Zinat Remtulla and Naseem Fazal; and brother, Mushtaq Ladhani. We convey our deep sympathy and condolences to them as well as the entire Ladhani family and to all his colleagues, friends and acquaintances around the world.

Through the services he rendered to Imamat institutions for four decades, Nazir has impacted the lives of millions of people around the world, making a positive difference in their livelihood, well-being and growth. His work will also ensure sustainable growth in communities impacted by the work of the Aga Khan Development Network and Aga Khan Foundation Canada, which holds the annual World Partnership Walk in numerous cities across Canada.

We pray that Nazeer’s soul may rest in eternal peace.

Addendum to Nazeer Ladhani’s Obituary

[Following our publication of Nazeer Ladhani’s obituary, above, we received the following details from Edmonton’s Nazir Kassamali who joined Nazeer Ladhani’s University of Central Asia (UCA) management team as the Director of Finance and Administration. We are pleased to incorporate Kassamali’s feedback into this post, as it reflects Nazeer Ladhani’s outstanding accomplishments at the UCA during the short time he stayed there. He was indeed on an important mission and performed his duties admirably! – Ed.]

By NAZIR KASSAMALI

First of all, I pay my deep respects to Nazeer Ladhani and convey my deep condolences to his family on his recent passing, and pray for the eternal peace of his soul.

I wish to add further to the obituary that has been presented here with respect to his short stint at the UCA whose Administrative Office was in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

During his assignment as the Director General of the University of Central Asia, a unique, internationally chartered higher university focused on the development of mountain societies, with purpose-built world class residential campuses in Naryn, Kyrgyzstan, and Khorog, Tajikistan and (future) Tekeli in Kazakhstan, Nazeer accomplished significant progress which is explained below.

In a meeting in New York, discussion came up about the slow progress of the of University subsequent to the signing of the Agreement with the respective governments, namely, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. There were significant issues that were not being addressed to meet the vision of the newly created University. Mawlana Hazar Imam, His Highness the Aga Khan, asked Nazeer Ladhani to takeover the management of the University and address the issues and provide solutions so that the three campuses and core curricula are built on a solid foundation.

Under Nazeer’s leadership and guidance, the UCA team achieved:

• Protocols following the agreements were approved and ratified by the acts of Parliaments of the three countries. This gave recognition equivalent to that of International NGOs such as United Nations which included Diplomatic status of the University, diplomatic license plates for the vehicles, ease of movements of the University employees across the three campuses and trilateral work permits. Government departments and senior employees were educated of the status of the University of Central Asia. This recognition of the UCA status made it easier to work with the Government officials of the three countries.
• Three Schools of Continuing Education and vocational training (SPCE) were built and opened. Full enrollments were accepted across the three campuses during Nazeer’s tenure and first cohorts graduated during the Golden Jubilee of Mawlana Hazar Imam;
• Administrative and support staff were hired and trained;
• Financial, Human Resources and Campus enrollment Systems, business processes and procedures were implemented;
• Campus designs of the three Campuses were completed with the Japanese Architects, Arata Sasaki;
• Cadastral surveying of the University lands allocated by the three governments were completed and delivered;
• For Khorog Campus in Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO), Tajikistan, alternative land and compensations were allocated to the families who were residing inside the University boundary. This took a lot of persuasion and working with the local leaders and the three layers of Governments;
• Vocational schools to train brick layers, plasterers, carpenters and painters were established with the grant from US Aid which Nazeer was instrumental in acquiring; and
• Incorporation of the Aga Khan Humanities Programme into the UCA’s curriculum.

It takes over three to four decades for a University to achieve the Global standards of recognition and Nazeer Ladhani made an outstanding contribution to give it a solid foundation.

Date posted: March 5, 2020.
Last updated: March 8, 2020 (addendum to obituary).

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