Zviko Katsande: Zimbabwean educator embodies global-mindedness

“I wake up every morning and look forward to seeing my students in class.” Although Zviko Katsande hails from Zimbabwe, he has taught in numerous countries. He has over a decade’s worth of experience teaching English, History, and Individuals & Societies in IB schools. “I was born in Zimbabwe during the time of Zimbabwe’s liberation war against the British colonization. I was so young when the war was going on,” said Mr. Katsande about his childhood. “It was a small town; we had to walk quite a long distance to school, and there weren’t many facilities around so we had to make do with what was available.” These challenges engendered in him a deep commitment to international development and an unshakeable personal resilience. Since then, he has travelled and taught in several schools throughout Africa, including Zambia, Ethiopia and Tanzania. “I wanted to experience an international working life, be exposed to a totally different culture, and to expose my family to a new culture as well,” he commented. Mr. Katsande has been at the Aga Khan Academy in Hyderabad since 2016, where he is the Head of the Humanities Department. He is passionate about both his role as an educator and as a leader. Speaking of the Aga Khan strands that weave through the curriculum, he states, “Because the strands align so well with the IB Program, teaching and learning with them make the experience meaningful. It also makes our students globally-minded.” When asked what he enjoys most about teaching at the Academy, Mr. Katsande commented, “The students are so sincere and open-minded. I wake up every morning and look forward to seeing them in class. All members of the Academy community feel this way about the students.”