Pakistan has reached a proud milestone in science education by winning its first-ever Gold Medal at the prestigious International Biology Olympiad (IBO). Abdul Raffay Paracha, a brilliant student from Siddique Public School, brought home the honor from the 35th IBO held in the Philippines from July 20 to 27.
This groundbreaking achievement came under the banner of the “Pakistan Gold Medal International Science Olympiad” campaign, led by the STEM Careers Programme — a joint initiative of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS).
The Pakistani team was expertly guided by Dr. Asma Imran and Dr. Asma Rehman from the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), a key PIEAS and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) institution.
Team Pakistan’s Outstanding Performance:
Alongside Abdul Raffay’s historic gold, Ayyan Aslam from Government College University, Lahore, received an Honourable Mention. The talented team also included Sadia Zulfiqar of Siddique Public School, Rawalpindi, and Arooj Fatima from Fusion College, Shakargarh.PIEAS and PAEC have long nurtured scientific talent through the National Science Talent Contest (NSTC), held annually in physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. Originally starting with the National Physics Talent Contest in 1995, the program expanded and formalized as NSTC in 2003.
Since Pakistan's first participation in global Olympiads — Physics in 2001, Mathematics in 2005, and Biology and Chemistry in 2006 — more than 380 students have represented the country, earning a total of 140 medals. Over 4,500 young science enthusiasts have also benefited from training camps held at over 240 locations nationwide.
This gold medal victory marks a turning point for Pakistan in global academic competitions and serves as an inspiration for future generations of scientists.
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