Ismaili.NET - Heritage F.I.E.L.D.

In social development, the Network is particularly active in health, education, housing and rural development. The purpose of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is to promote creative and effective solutions to problems that impede social development. AKF provides funding and technical assistance for many social development projects carried out by both Network institutions and other agencies. The Aga Khan University (AKU) is an international institution whose Faculty of Health Sciences and Institute for Educational Development are in Karachi, Pakistan. Its goal is to bring international standards of education to bear upon the study of problems in the developing world and the training of professionals there.

As providers of health and education services that date back to the nineteenth century, the institutions of the Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS) and Aga Khan Education Services (AKES) are the historical bedrock of the Network's social development activities, along with the Aga Khan Housing Boards. They work closely with AKF and AKU to implement initiatives that have the potential to promote the well being of large number of people in the developing world.