LUMS Alumna Awarded Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award 2024

Khadija Shahper Bakhtiar, a LUMS BSc 2007 graduate, has been honoured with the prestigious Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award 2024 by the University of California, Berkeley. Khadija, who completed her Master’s in Public Policy from UC Berkeley in 2010, is the Founder and CEO of Teach For Pakistan. She is the second Pakistani recipient of this award, following Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The award recognises Khadija’s impactful work at Teach For Pakistan, which focuses on transforming teacher recruitment and development across Pakistan. Under her leadership, Teach For Pakistan has collaborated with federal and provincial governments, as well as other key stakeholders, to scale innovative approaches to teacher recruitment and development nationwide.

The Elise and Walter A. Haas Award was instituted in 1963 by the University of California, Berkeley and is conferred by the university to one alumnus or alumna from outside the USA in recognition of their distinguished service to their country. “I am humbled and happy to have been conferred an international award by my alma mater. The slightest hint of pride is accompanied by the realisation that I could not have done it alone; this is a recognition of my fabulous team's commitment, zeal, and hard work.”

Reflecting on her motivation for establishing TFP and her mission to improve education in Pakistan, Khadija shared, “Millions of children are left behind through no fault of their own. Society's inequities are mirrored in its education system. During my time at the University of California, Berkeley, I was introduced to the Teach For All programme—my ‘lightbulb moment’. I wanted to create a similar initiative in Pakistan to promote equitable education and leadership development.”

Teach For Pakistan, founded by Khadija, is a national non-profit organisation that nurtures leadership to address educational inequity. She explained, “In Pakistan, the education sector faces significant challenges, from inequity to a lack of focus on quality and learning outcomes. The fragmented approach to reform highlighted the need for a youth leadership programme to drive meaningful change across sectors.”

Teach For Pakistan provides university graduates with the opportunity and support to teach for two years in underserved communities through a structured Fellowship programme and develop the leadership skills and contextual perspectives to affect long-term changes for the betterment of the country’s education system. Every year, the organisation conducts a rigorous recruitment drive aimed at brilliant graduates from reputable universities. The process entails online applications, assessment centres, and interviews. The applicants are assessed on five key qualities: academic achievement, leadership, ability to foster connections with diverse groups, perseverance and resilience in overcoming challenges, self-motivation, organisational and communication skills, and dedication to social change. Fewer than 5% of applicants make it through the final selection.

To date, the impact of Teach For Pakistan has been phenomenal; its Fellows have taught more than 30,000 students across 132 public schools in underserved rural and peri-urban communities in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, impacting hundreds of thousands across Pakistan. Khadija says, “The organisation’s ‘Theory of Change’ is predicated on its alumni. Seventy per cent of them continue to work in education or other social sectors after completing their two-year Fellowship. They do policy work in federal and provincial education programmes, help develop learning-oriented curriculums, and devise Edtech solutions for better learning outcomes. Those who branch out into other professions become flag bearers for equity, enhancing the pipeline of human talent that Pakistan needs to bring about reform across various sectors.”

Going forward, Teach For Pakistan aspires to broaden its role as a convening platform for thought leaders, policymakers, development practitioners, and all other stakeholders to work toward a cohesive sector-wide transformation to ensure equitable education for all. 

Khadija, a Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the 2019 Vice Chancellor’s Alumni Achievement Award at LUMS, attributes much of her success to her alma mater. Reflecting on her time at LUMS, she shares, “When I first arrived at UC Berkeley, I felt apprehensive about whether I could meet the challenges ahead. However, I quickly realised that as a LUMS graduate, I was already equipped with the rigour, discipline, and intellectual curiosity needed to excel anywhere. LUMS truly prepares its students to tackle any challenge, academic or otherwise.”

Speaking about the role LUMS played in the creation of Teach For Pakistan, Khadija highlights the university’s lasting influence, “A combination of factors inspired me—gratitude for being at Pakistan’s top university fostered a deep urge to give back to society, especially to those who lack access to similar opportunities through no fault of their own. The National Outreach Programme at LUMS undoubtedly nudged me toward establishing Teach For Pakistan, as it aligns with our shared belief in equitable education and a just society. The continued support and encouragement of Syed Babar Ali Sahib, my professors, and faculty members like Dr. Faisal Bari have been instrumental for us.

Teach For Pakistan alumni actively collaborate with the Syed Ahsan Ali and Syed Maratib Ali School of Education at LUMS. I’m thrilled that our two institutions actively support each other, and I look forward to further strengthening this partnership.”

Khadija has made LUMS proud by bringing this honour to Pakistan. We wish her continued success!