During her four-day visit to Pakistan, Dr Nicole Bien, Chief Schools Officer at the IB, met with IB World School leaders and government representatives to strengthen the implementation of IB education across public schools and foster strong collaboration with educational institutions.
During her visit, Dr Nicole Bien had the opportunity to meet with the Chief Secretary of Gilgit Baltistan, Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani, among other notable government officials from the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training such as the Federal Secretary, Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry, to discuss the introduction of IB programmes in public schools across the region. Dr Bien also engaged with representatives from the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) to explore synergistic opportunities for collaboration in professional development, curriculum enrichment and assessment practices.
Aimed to further foster collaboration and shared knowledge among IB schools across the country, Dr Nicole Bien attended the IBPAK Association Conference along with 65 heads and coordinators of IB schools from across the country. During the presentation, Dr Bien and Ms Uzma Shujjat, IB regional manager for Pakistan, shared insights about the IB development, recognition and growth strategies in Pakistan—including some global initiatives such as the 16+ review and the student well-being project.
Among the IB World Schools, Dr Bien visited the recently authorized Beaconhouse Newlands Islamabad (BNI), the first school in Pakistan to offer the Career-related Programme (CP) and all four IB programmes. The CP was officially recognized on 3 April by Pakistan’s Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC), Ministry of Education, and is equivalent to the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) Humanities and Science subjects (Pre-Medical/Pre-Engineering Group) of Pakistan.
“We are delighted about the incredible growth Pakistan has experienced so far this year with the CP becoming officially recognized. We were excited to welcome and visit the first school offering all four programmes. The IB is committed to strengthen relationships with government and school representatives across the country to enable greater access to IB programmes, and to provide students with the opportunity to build the skills, empathy and confidence needed to thrive in a modern world," said Dr Nicole Bien, Chief Schools Officer at the IB.
Dr Nicole Bien's visit to Pakistan marks a significant milestone in the expansion and promotion of IB programmes in the country. Through dialogues with government officials, educational organizations and IB schools, Dr Bien reaffirmed IB's unwavering commitment to providing a globally recognized education that empowers students to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners.
Since the first IB World School in 1996, the IB has grown its presence in the Pakistan education ecosystem over the years, going from 7 IB programmes in 2015 to reaching more than 57 IB programmes offered across 34 IB World Schools in 2023.
