AKDN and the Malaysian government have been partners on a number of initiatives, including the 2007 Enabling Environment conference for Afghanistan and capacity building in the health sector of Afghanistan (with the Malaysian Armed Forces Medical Contingent).
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Malaysia
Since 2007, the agencies of the Aga Khan Development Network have been engaged in a number of collaborative exchanges with institutions in Malaysia, notably in the areas of urban revitalisation and conservation at the UNESCO heritage site in George Town, Penang.
They have worked together to improve health service delivery and family medicine with the Malaysian Ministry of Health and delegations from Central Asia and the Middle East. It has also collaborated on architectural education, urban planning and higher education (with public and private institutions in Kuala Lumpur and in Selangor), early childhood development (with Yayasan Chow Kit in Kuala Lumpur) and economic development (with the World Islamic Economic Forum).
Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2013, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and Think City Sdn. Berhad (Think City) - working with the support of local planning agencies – provided technical assistance for the protection, development and enhancement of Penang’s historic George Town.
In 2015, the Penang Management Collaboration Agreement for the development of Historic George Town (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) was signed, outlining the roles and responsibilities of the Office of Chief Minister of Penang, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and Think City (a Malaysian Governmental line agency entrusted with development of the urban environment). A new agency through which the three entities collaborate was created in late 2015.
Called the George Town Conservation and Development Corporation or GTCDC, the agency’s first activity concerned the implementation of a pilot project for the rehabilitation of historic Armenian Square. Completed in early March 2016, this project underlines the importance of the multi-functional use of this small public open space. Earlier the site had been identified as a vector for strengthening bonds within the community and for enhancing communal ownership. Further activities include improvements in the Street of Harmony to the north of Armenian Square, as well as the rehabilitation of the Northern Seafront – including Fort Cornwallis and the open space west of this historic site.
“Treasures of the Aga Khan Museum: Architecture in Islamic Arts", a travelling exhibition of objects and art from the Aga Khan Museum collections, ran from 30 March to 29 June 2012 at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.
In September 2007, at a ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur, His Highness the Aga Khan announced the nine recipients of the 2007 Aga Khan Award for Architecture.
See also
October 2015 - Signature of a Management Collaboration Agreement that expands the scope of an existing partnership for the protection, development and enhancement of Penang’s historic George Town for another three years.
