Best University in Pakistan for Education

MDSVAD Fine Arts alumnus Muzzumil Ruheel presents his solo exhibition The Wild in Our Mouths at Canvas Gallery, Karachi. The show explores the unspoken—words and truths we withhold yet carry within us. These silences, fragile and fierce, return in restless forms, shaping the wild that quietly inhabits us all.

The Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design (MDSVAD), Beaconhouse National University (BNU), hosted its Orientation Day for the incoming Batch of 2025–2029. The event provided new students with an introduction to the school’s programs, faculty, and creative opportunities, fostering engagement and a sense of belonging within the academic community.

MDSVAD faculty member Ammar Aziz has launched a new art initiative, ZQ Gallery. Its inaugural exhibition, The Shape of Seeing, curated by Aziz, was inaugurated by Prof. Rashid Rana as guest of honor. The show features remarkable works by MDSVAD faculty members Prof. Risham and Imran Ahmed Khan.

Maham Zahra, a graduate of the B.Des. Textile, Fashion and Accessories Design program at MDSVAD, BNU, has received recognition for her Master’s thesis in Digital Fashion at the University for the Creative Arts (UCA), United Kingdom. Her project was featured on the official UCA website and highlighted in the Graduate Show Archive, reflecting international acknowledgment of her creative excellence.

Professor Risham Syed, Head of the Fine Arts Department at the Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design (MDSVAD), BNU, became the sixth artist to develop an exhibition based on The Newark Museum of Art’s (NMOA) collection. Her works address themes of colonialism, capitalism, and climate change, engaging with diverse inspirations such as American landscapes, Chinese scroll paintings, and The Ballantine House period rooms.

Dean of Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design (MDSVAD), Prof. Rashid Rana, and Head of Fine Arts, Prof. Risham Syed, are showcasing their works in the exhibition Tigers & Dragons: India and Wales in Britain at the Glynn Vivian Gallery, Wales. The exhibition explores deep cultural connections between the Indian Subcontinent and Wales and will remain open until November 2, 2025.

Professor Risham Syed, Head of the Fine Arts Department at the Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design (MDSVAD), BNU, was invited as the Frere Hall South Asian Artist-in-Residence at the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford. She was selected through a highly competitive nomination process, recognizing her contribution to contemporary South Asian art and practice.

Beaconhouse National University (BNU) proudly launched the first edition of the IEDAs Journal on July 3, under the UNESCO Chair on Inclusion through Art.

The Mariyam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design (MDSVAD) at BNU held its spectacular Annual Degree Show 2025 from June 28 to July 04, featuring the outstanding work of 101 graduating students. The event was a vibrant, week-long celebration of imagination, skill, and bold artistic exploration.

Beaconhouse National University (BNU) proudly presented the Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Arts 2025 to Mrs. Shehla Saigol, founder of the Lahore Art Gallery. The award, initiated by the Department of Fine Arts under the leadership of Risham Syed, recognizes Mrs. Saigol’s unwavering support and distinguished patronage of the arts in Pakistan.

Ms. Aatiqa Sheikh, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the MA in Art Education at BNU, was invited as a guest speaker at LUMS to deliver a talk on Heritage Education in Pakistan. She highlighted the importance of integrating cultural diversity and inclusive curricula into educational frameworks.

On May 21, 2025, the Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design (MDSVAD) welcomed acclaimed artist Beate Terfloth for an inspiring guest lecture. Terfloth, former Professor of Drawing and Printmaking at Mozarteum University, Salzburg, shared insights into her conceptual and spatial approach to drawing through an engaging session titled Drawing and Territory.

The Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design (MDSVAD) at BNU hosted an engaging SVAD Talk featuring Emma Lambert and Matt Johnston, both accomplished visual practitioners, educators, and researchers from Coventry University.

The Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design (MDSVAD) at BNU hosted an inspiring SVAD Talk featuring Gwendolyn Kulick, Associate Professor of Design Theory at the German University in Cairo. Kulick, who taught at SVAD from 2004 to 2015, returned to share insights from her ongoing design research in Pakistan.

The Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design (SVAD) at BNU hosted an inspiring SVAD Talk featuring Inaam Zafar, a visual artist, educator, and gardener. Zafar shared insights into his work on Islamic Paradise gardens and pre-colonial horticultural heritage, emphasizing the sensory experiences of gardens and their ecological significance.

The Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design (SVAD) at BNU hosted an engaging SVAD Talk featuring renowned visual artist and filmmaker Hira Nabi. She shared insights into her artistic and research practice, exploring themes of disappearance, afterlives, labor infrastructures, and colonial histories. Her thought-provoking discussion highlighted how art can serve as a powerful tool for witnessing, resistance, and resilience.

Ms. Aatiqa Sheikh conducted a training session *‘Art Education and Cultural Diplomacy: Potential(s) of Religious & Cultural Tourism’* at ‘Young Public Diplomacy Summit Istanbul 2024’ on September 6th in Turkey.

Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the Master of Art Education at BNU, Ms. Aatiqa Sheikh, presented her paper at the International Lyallpur History Conference 2024, held in Faisalabad on August 26th and 27th. The event was organized in collaboration with the Lyallpur Young Historians Club and the Lyallpur Literary Council.

Ms. Aatiqa Sheikh, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the Master of Art Education at Beaconhouse National University (BNU), lent her expertise to the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training, Pakistan, in the development of National Standards for Art & Design Education. This initiative is poised to reshape the landscape of art education in the country.

From June 8 to 15, BNU's Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design (MDSVAD) hosted its Annual Thesis Display, transforming the campus into a hub of creativity. Ninety-eight graduating students showcased impressive work across BFA Visual Art, BDes Visual Communication Design, BDes Textile, Fashion, and Accessories Design, and BA (Hons) Interdisciplinary Expanded Design & Art.

BNU-MDSVAD inaugurated the prestigious BNU Award, honoring Mr. Hameed Haroon for his transformative impact on Pakistan's art and cultural heritage. The event held on June 8, 2024, also featured the opening of the Degree Show 2024, which was inaugurated by Mr. Hameed Haroon, showcasing the outstanding works of MDSVAD's graduating students.

The inaugural Design Summit Lahore 01, held from March 7 to 13, 2024, explored design discourse in Pakistan and the Global South. Hosted by MDSVAD at BNU, it featured exhibitions, discussions, and projects under themes like 'Planetary Geographies' and 'Designing Pakistan'. Sponsored by JS BANK, it culminated in engaging workshops and a finale at BNU Tarogil campus.

Students from the Textile, Fashion, and Accessories Design Department at the Mariam Dawood School of Visual Arts and Design (MDSVAD), recently embarked on an enlightening educational journey to Sialkot.