LUMS Hosts International Education Summit to Bridge Research and Policy in Pakistan

The Data and Research in Education Research Consortium (DARE-RC) International Education Summit 2026 (EDCON26) was held at LUMS on October 31 and November 1, co-hosted with the Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education (SOE). The summit convened researchers, policymakers, practitioners, funders, and education leaders to explore how evidence can drive education reform in Pakistan.

Under the theme 'From Evidence to Action', the summit examined findings from 44 research studies and scoping papers produced by DARE-RC. The event aimed to strengthen pathways from evidence to action, set priorities, and consider future directions for education reform in Pakistan. Maria Wyard, Head of Human Capital, Inclusion and Governance at the British High Commission, highlighted the importance of evidence-based decision-making: 'With resources under pressure in Pakistan and globally, we must make better use of the evidence we already have and fill critical knowledge gaps. That is why the UK invested in DARE: to strengthen Pakistan’s education evidence base, improve access to high-quality data and help policymakers make informed decisions based on evidence, not assumption.'

The programme opened with remarks from Maria Wyard, followed by addresses from Federal Secretary of Education Nadeem Mahbub, LUMS Vice Chancellor Dr. Ali Cheema, and Dr. Adil Najam, President of WWF International and former Vice Chancellor of LUMS. A panel discussion on why evidence matters for education reform featured leading practitioners, including Shehzad Roy (CEO, Zindagi Trust), Dr. Asyia Kazmi (CEO, WISE, Qatar Foundation), Nishat Riaz (Chief Executive, Pakistan, Malala Fund), Riaz Kamlani (COO, The Citizens Foundation), and Abid Suleri (Executive Director, SDPI).

Day one focused on synthesising the extensive evidence produced by DARE-RC, with sessions on data and AI, teaching and the education workforce, inclusion, and climate resilience. Day two explored how to translate quality evidence into real policy change, covering governance and accountability, language policy, and scaling solutions that work. Three policy labs brought researchers and policymakers together to shape future priorities for evidence-based education reforms in Pakistan.

The conference also featured insights from key government leaders, including Nadeem Mahbub, Federal Secretary of Education; Nausheen Adnan, Parliamentary Secretary – School Education Department, Punjab; Shahid Farid, Managing Director, Punjab Education Foundation; Rizwan Qadeer, Special Secretary, SED Balochistan; Aftab Alam, Director SEMIS, Reform Support Unit, SELD, Sindh; and Omer Iftikhar Sherazi, Programme Director, PMIU-PERSPR. The closing session provided expert insight into government decision-making, with contributions from Silwat Saeed, Secretary, Environment Protection & Climate Change Department, Punjab; Qaisar Alam, Managing Director, ESEF, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and Lal Jan Jaffar, Secretary, SED, Balochistan.

As the DARE-RC programme concludes, it leaves behind a substantial body of evidence and a legacy of research pointing towards a more inclusive education system. Dr. Monazza Aslam, Research Director at DARE-RC, emphasised the importance of synthesising evidence: 'Synthesising the rich evidence DARE-RC has produced matters more now than ever before as the challenges facing Pakistan’s education system are increasingly complex and interconnected. From individual study findings, we are able to synthesise and generate a body of high quality evidence that allows us to identify ‘what works’, ‘for whom’ and ‘under what conditions’ to build equitable, effective and resilient education systems.' The Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education at LUMS, a strategic partner of DARE-RC, will carry the EDCON conference series forward, cementing the important role of academia in raising education outcomes in Pakistan.