ISLAMABAD: Pakistani team won two bronze medals in International Biology Olympiad (IBO), held in Astana, Kazakhstan from July 7-14.

According to a press release, Zoha Asif from Nixor College, Karachi and Soban Safdar from FFC Grammar School, Mirpur Mathelo won the bronze medal for Pakistan in IBO 2024.

The press release said Pakistan team participated in the Olympiad under the sponsorship of STEM Careers programme, which is a joint venture of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS). The biology team was trained by Dr Asma Imran and Dr Amir Ali from the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Faisalabad, which is also a constituent college of PIEAS University, Islamabad.

Pakistan is regularly participating in the International Physics Olympiad since 2001, in the Mathematics Olympiad since 2005 and in the Biology and Chemistry Olympiad since 2006. Since its inception, more than 350 students have been able to participate in the ISOs, winning 134 medals.

With more than 240 training camps, 4,000 students have received training in the home institutes through this programme.

PIEAS is responsible for managing the STEM Careers programme and have made great efforts in providing an enabling platform that supports students’ engagement in STEM fields and ensure that participants are well-equipped for the challenges and opportunities of the future.

PIEAS conducts a National Science Talent Contest (NSTC) each year under the umbrella of STEM Careers programme. The students selected under NSTC are further trained for participation in the International Science Olympiads (ISOs), which is the most prestigious competition for young schools and college students. The teams in the four subjects - physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics - are selected through a countrywide NSTC held each year in 19 cities across Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2024