OxfordAQA, a partnership between Oxford University Press and AQA, the UK’s largest provider of GCSEs and A-levels, hosted OxfordAQA School Leaders’ Summit 2026 at Lahore, bringing together academic leaders, education professionals, and policymakers to discuss the growing importance of competence-based education and skills-focused assessment in preparing students for the future.
The keynote address on ‘The Role of Skills in Assessment’ was delivered by Dr Faisal Bari, Head of Academics and Professional Education, School of Education, LUMS, who spoke on aligning assessment practices with meaningful learning outcomes. “With rapid changes in technology, especially due to AI, the nature of teaching and learning is changing fast too. The knowledge and skills that were relevant yesterday, many of those will not be relevant tomorrow. Assessments, too, have to change with time and focus on assessing knowledge and skills that will be useful for the world of tomorrow. Glad to see international boards are aware of this, are preparing accordingly and are even ahead of the curve.”
In a keynote themed ‘Shifting the Focus: Competence-Based Education’, Arshad Saeed Husain, Managing Director, Oxford University Press Pakistan, emphasized the need to move beyond content-heavy curricula. “Education systems must prioritize the development of competencies that enable learners to think critically, adapt confidently, and apply knowledge meaningfully. Competence-based education is essential for relevance in a rapidly changing world.”
Andrew Coombe, Managing Director, OxfordAQA, highlighted the organization’s global vision and local engagement. “OxfordAQA is committed to delivering assessments that reflect real-world skills and international best practice. Our work in Pakistan is grounded in partnership, quality, and a shared ambition to support student success.”
Another keynote session, OxfordAQA and AI: Leading with Learning’, was presented by Dr. Alexandra Tomescu, Product Specialist: Generative AI and Machine Learning, Oxford University Press, focusing on the responsible integration of artificial intelligence in education. “AI has the potential to support learning and assessment when guided by strong pedagogical principles. Our priority is to ensure that technology enhances educational integrity and learner development.”
The event also included presentations on ‘The Impact of the OxfordAQA Approach’, with a global perspective shared by Jen Duggan, Head of Qualifications & Gulf, OxfordAQA, and a local perspective presented by Salma Adil, Director, OxfordAQA Pakistan. She said, “In Pakistan, OxfordAQA is supporting schools to adopt assessment practices that build confidence, critical thinking, and transferable skills”.
A panel discussion titled ‘Empowering Students with Future-Focused Skills’ was moderated by Neda Mulji, Senior Manager, Professional Development, Oxford University Press Pakistan, and explored strategies for equipping learners to thrive in an evolving global environment. The discussion was followed by an interactive Q&A session with participants.