Established in 2012, the Global Encounters programme draws dozens of Ismaili secondary school students from all around the world to participate in an intensive four-week residential programme in Pakistan, India, or Kenya. The programme is organised in collaboration with the Aga Khan Academies and the Aga Khan University. 

The objectives of the programme are centred around: service learning, cultural exchange, global citizenship, and leadership development. These are achieved by providing students the opportunity to carry out community service projects in partnership with schools and local communities.

The programme aims to foster a sense of responsibility in Ismaili youth by providing them with experiential opportunities to understand the complexities of development and learn from best practice in the field. The hope is that students will take the skills and values they learn abroad and apply them in their home countries.

In addition to its emphasis on service and leadership, the programme gives students an opportunity to become global citizens and exercise a very central value for Ismaili Muslims — the notion of pluralism. Students foster meaningful relationships with Ismaili youth around the world and overall, broaden their perspectives through thought-provoking activities, all the while gaining cultural awareness.