Pakistan wins first ever gold medal at International Science Olympiad

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has made a landmark achievement by bagging its first-ever Gold Medal in the International Science Olympiad.

Abdul Raffay Paracha, a Siddique Public School student, won the Gold at the 35th International Biology Olympiad (IBO) held in the Philippines from July 20 to July 27, marking history for the country.

This win is a moment of pride under the Pakistan Gold Medal International Science Olympiad campaign run by the STEM Careers Programme, an initiative by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) in collaboration with the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS).

The Pakistani team was led by Dr. Asma Imran and Dr. Asma Rehman from the National Institute of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), a PIEAS and Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) constituent institution.

Other Notable Team Pakistan Achievements at IBO 2025

Besides the Gold, Government College University, Lahore’s Ms. Ayyan Aslam was also awarded an Honourable Mention. The team also consisted of Ms. Sadia Zulfiqar from Siddique Public School, Rawalpindi, and Mr. Arooj Fatima of Shakargarh’s Fusion College, Narowal.

PIEAS, being under PAEC, holds the National Science Talent Contest (NSTC) in Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics on a yearly basis. The NSTC was a development of the National Physics Talent Contest, which started in 1995 and has been conducted continuously since 2003.

Pakistan started competing in the International Physics Olympiad in 2001, and later, the Mathematics Olympiad in 2005, as well as the Biology and Chemistry Olympiads in 2006. More than 380 students have represented the nation in these international competitions since then, winning a total of 140 medals.

Over 4,500 young science talents have been trained at more than 240 camps held at HEC partner institutions across the country.

This monumental milestone along the journey of the Pakistan Gold Medal International Science Olympiad has triggered national pride and a new standard for excellence in sciences.