Pakistan achieved a notable milestone as its team secured two bronze medals in the International Biology Olympiad (IBO) 2024, held in Astana, Kazakhstan from July 7–14.
Zoha Asif from Karachi and Soban Safdar from Mirpur Mathelo earned the bronze medals for Pakistan in this year’s IBO.
The Pakistani team participated in the Olympiad under the sponsorship of the STEM Careers program, a collaboration between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Science (PIEAS).
According to PIEAS, the biology team received training from Dr. Asma Imran and Dr. Amir Ali of the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, which is affiliated with PIEAS University, Islamabad.
PIEAS oversees the STEM Careers program, which aims to provide a supportive platform for students interested in STEM fields, ensuring they are well-prepared for future challenges and opportunities.
Each year, PIEAS conducts the National Science Talent Contest (NSTC) under the STEM Careers program, from which students are selected and trained for participation in International Science Olympiads (ISOs), including physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics.
The selection process involves screening tests held nationwide in 19 cities across Pakistan, with the top 50 students invited to residential training camps. These camps, managed by the STEM Careers program office at HEC, eventually narrow down to the best 4-6 students per subject for ISO participation.
NIBGE (PIEAS) serves as the home institute for biology, while the HEJ Research Institute of Chemistry at the University of Karachi is the home institute for chemistry, COMSATS-Lahore for mathematics, and PIEAS for physics.
Pakistan has been actively participating in the International Physics Olympiad since 2001, Mathematics Olympiad since 2005, and Biology and Chemistry Olympiads since 2006. Over the years, more than 350 students have represented Pakistan in ISOs, securing a total of 134 medals.
Through over 240 training camps, the STEM Careers program has trained approximately 4,000 students at their respective home institutes.
