Pakistan Clinches First Biology Olympiad Gold

Abdul Raffay Paracha from Siddique Public School earned Pakistan’s first-ever gold medal at the 35th International Biology Olympiad in the Philippines held from July 20 to 27 under Pakistan’s Gold Medal International Science Olympiad campaign led by STEM Careers Programme in collaboration with HEC Pakistan and Pakistan Institute of Engineering & Applied Sciences (PIEAS).

The team was guided by Dr Asma Imran and Dr. Asma Rehman of the National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (NIGEB), a constituent of PIEAS and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission. Ms. Ayyan Aslam from Government College University (GCU), Lahore, received an Honorable Mention. Also on the team were Sadia Zulfiqar from Siddique Public School Rawalpindi and Arooj Fatima of Fusion College Shakargarh.

Since its debut in international science olympiads—Physics in 2001, Mathematics in 2005, and Biology and Chemistry in 2006—Pakistan has seen participation from over 380 students and has collected around 140 medals. The NSTC programme organized annually by PIEAS under PAEC through HEC partner institutes has trained more than 4500 students at 240+ camps nationwide.

This landmark victory ignites national pride and sets a new benchmark for STEM excellence in Pakistan. it demonstrates the success of long‑term investment in science talent development and puts Pakistan firmly on the global academic map.