LAHORE (Digital Posts) DARE-RC International Education Summit 2026 – EDCON26 at LUMS sets priorities for education reform in Pakistan

LAHORE, 1st Nov, 2026 (Digital Posts): The Data and Research in Education Research Consortium (DARE-RC) International Education Summit 2026 (EDCON26), co-hosted with the Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education (SOE), took place at LUMS on October 31 and November 1, bringing together researchers, policymakers, practitioners, funders and education leaders.

Under the theme From Evidence to Action, the EDCON26 Summit explored the findings from a huge portfolio of new evidence: 44 research studies and scoping papers to strengthen pathways from evidence to action, and to set priorities and consider future directions for reform in education in Pakistan.

“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,” Maria Wyard, Head of Human Capital, Inclusion and Governance, British High Commission.

Over two days, participants consolidated findings from DARE-RC’s evidence and considered how it can be best used to improve policy and practice. The programme opened with opening remarks from Maria Wyard, Head of Human Capital, Inclusion and Governance, British High Commission, followed by remarks from Federal Secretary of Education Nadeem Mahbub, Dr. Ali Cheema Vice Chancellor of LUMS, and Dr Adil Najam, President of WWF International and former Vice Chancellor of LUMS.This was followed by an exploration of why evidence matters for education reform, featuring some of the leading practitioners in the field, 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.

Rigorous research

Day one focused on understanding and synthesising the extensive evidence DARE-RC has produced. Sessions by leading researchers looked at DARE-RC research on Data and AI, teaching and the education workforce, inclusion and climate resilience.  Day two looked at how to turn quality evidence into real policy change. Sessions looked at aspects of governance and accountability, language policy and scaling solutions that work. Three policy labs then brought researchers and policymakers together to shape future priorities for evidence-based education reforms in Pakistan.

Policy Action

DARE-RC has consistently sought to engage policymakers with quality evidence to help them make decisions. As well as the research community, the EDCON26 conference featured insights from key leaders from within the government, 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 how decisions are made within government, 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.

The DARE-RC Legacy

The EDCON26 conference comes as the DARE-RC programme concludes its work. As well as generating a substantial body of evidence, DARE RC’s work has been characterised by strong empirical depth, close engagement with policymakers and practitioners, and building an empowered network of researchers across Pakistan. The programme leaves behind a legacy of research that points the way towards a more inclusive education system.

“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 strength of DARE-RC research lies in the ‘collective picture’ – helping us move from individual findings towards a richer and deeper understanding of how Pakistan’s education system can be improved for all, including the most marginalised,”

 Dr Monazza Aslam, Research Director, DARE-RC.

In the years to come 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, leaving a lasting legacy of the DARE-RC programme and a cementing the important role of academia in raising education outcomes in Pakistan.