Beaconhouse National University (BNU)

Aatiqa Sheikh is an art educator with expertise in pedagogy, research, curriculum design, and cultural diplomacy. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator for the MA Art Education program at MDSVAD, Beaconhouse National University. An alumna of the same program, she graduated with Distinction in research.

Aatiqa has presented her research at prestigious international platforms, including the 13th HSS Conference, the LUMS Conference on Mapping Emerging Scholarships in South Asia, the World Summit of Art Education in Portugal, the 3rd IAFOR Conference for Educational Research & Innovation in Washington, USA, the First Regional Conference on Arts and Media Education (RCAME, LUMS), and the International Lyallpur History Conference 2024.

Her meta-learning project with schoolchildren was a finalist for the BSS Inspire Award 2018, while her trilingual initiative on emotional literacy for sustainable communities—developed in collaboration with Colegio Fasta San Alberto Mango, Jujuy, Argentina—earned the British Council’s International School Award 2020-23. She has also played a key role in an art education initiative in collaboration with BNU-TEF (Tareen Education Foundation), aimed at enhancing teaching practices through innovative curriculum design, capacity building, and teacher training in public schools across Southern Punjab. Additionally, her artwork has been exhibited at Alhamra Art Council.

As a co-founder of the research collective Covert Overt, Aatiqa has led multiple education and research projects and provided consultancy for organizations such as UNESCO, the World Bank, the Tareen Education Foundation, the British Council, and the Government of Pakistan. Recently, she contributed to the development of the National Curriculum as a curriculum expert in Art & Design.

Her research interests span a broad spectrum, including Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), Inclusivity & Interfaith Harmony, Visual Culture & Metacognition, Memory and Perception, Perceptual & Epistemological Hegemonies, Ocularcentrism, and the significance of multisensory experiences, with a particular focus on olfaction.

• Master of Art Education, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore (With Distinction in Thesis)
• Master of English Literature, University of the Punjab, Lahore
• Bachelor of English Literature, University of the Punjab, Lahore

• Mariam Dawood School of Visual Art & Design (MDSVAD), Beaconhouse National University, Lahore (July 2018 – Present)
• Program Coordinator, Master of Art Education (June 2021 – Present)
• Assistant Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary & Graduate Studies (September 2021 – Present)
• Secretary, Core Curriculum Committee, SVAD (June 2021 – Present)
• Founder & Manager, Self-Learning Resource (SLR) Centre, SVAD (January 2022 – Present)
• Faculty Development Coordinator, MDSVAD (December 2021 – Present)
• Course Outline Revision Coordinator (January – March 2022)
• Prospectus Compilation Lead, MDSVAD (November 2021 – June 2022)
• Vision 2030 Coordinator, MDSVAD (March – July 2022)
• Member & MDSVAD Representative, Interdisciplinary Committee (September 2023 – Present)
• Member & MDSVAD Representative, BNU Strategic Plan Team for Vision 2030 (February 2024 – Present)
• Art & Design Lead, BNU Summer School 2024 (September 2023 – Present)
• Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD), Lahore (January – May 2019)
• Visiting Faculty, M.Phil. Art & Design Programme
• Les Agnes Montessori (August 2020 – August 2021)
• Instructional Coach, Cluster 3
• ELE Ambassador
• Beaconhouse School System (November 2012 – July 2020)
• Level Coordinator (2014 – 2020)
• Instructor & Mentor
• Activity Coordinator
• Dramatic Society In-Charge (2013 – 2016)
• Arts Club In-Charge (2017 – 2018)
• House Mistress (2018 – 2020)
• The Beaconhouse Times (TBT) Correspondent & Content Writer (2013 – 2017)

• Partially Funded Candidate: Young Public Diplomacy Forum, Istanbul – CSCD (Sep 5-8, 2024)
• Fully Funded Candidate: Young Cultural Diplomacy Forum, Dubai – CSCD (May 23-27, 2024)
• British Council Project: Emotion Express – International Trilingual Collaboration (SDG 4 & 16)
• Award Winner: British Council International School Award (2021-23)
• Curriculum Designer & Observer: Making a Difference (Adult Education Program) – Finalist, BSS Inspiration Award (2018)
• Facilitator & Designer: Adult Literacy & Life Skills Program (Dec 2017 - June 2018)
• Distinction: MA Art Education Thesis – Research Award

• Manager Talks & Hackathons, Publication Team Member – Design Summit ’01, BNU (2024)
• Curriculum Designer & Reviewer (Art & Design: Grades 1-12) – NCC, Ministry of Federal Education (2023-24)
• Team Lead & Educational Research Consultant – "Heritage in Young Hands" (Phase-II), UNESCO & Faiz Foundation (2022-23)
• Site Lead (Central Punjab), Resource Development Team Lead – Lahore Fort, Hiran Minar, Taxila Museum, Rohtas Fort, Bibi Jawindi Complex
• Educational Research Consultant – "Heritage in Young Hands" (Phase-I), UNESCO & Faiz Foundation (2021)
• Site Lead (Central Punjab), Students Resource Lead – Gurdwara Rohri Sahib & Gurdwara Sacha Sauda Sahib
• Co-founder – Covert Overt (Inclusivity Research Collective) (2020-Present)
• Teacher Trainer/Facilitator – Art Education Project, BNU & Tareen Education Foundation (2018-20)
• Participant Observer – Various Educational Initiatives

• Research Paper Accepted – "Transition in Communal Association in Old Neighbourhood of Lyallpur: A Socio-Linguistic Analysis," ILHC (2024)
• Presented Research Paper – "Significance of Olfaction in Multi-Sensory Learning Environment," RCAME (2024)
• Presented Visual Research – "Visual Culture & Metacognition," IAFOR Conference on Education & Innovation, Virginia (2023)
• Panel Speaker – "Infusing & Indigenising a Culture of Post-Graduate Research in Art & Design Education," HSS Conference, LUMS (2019)
• Guest Lecture – "Research Design in Contemporary Art & Design Education," Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design
• Research Presentation – M.Phil Thesis Seminar, Research Methods

• Curatorial Coordinator – MA AE Annual Exhibition, BNU (2022, 2023, 2024)
• Exhibiting Artist – An Untitled Show (Group Show, Alhamra Arts Council) (2019)
• Exhibiting Artist – 2nd Alhamra National Exhibition of Visual Artists (2019)

• Students Resource Book – Heritage in Young Hands (Hiran Minar, Sheikhupura) (2023)
• Teachers’ Manual – Heritage in Young Hands Resource Kit (2023)
• Students Resource Book – Heritage in Young Hands (Gurdwara Rohri Sahib & Gurdwara Sacha Sauda Sahib) (2021)
• Teachers’ Manual – Heritage in Young Hands Resource Kit (2021)
• Catalogue Contributor – ILM Catalogue (Solo Show at CANVAS, Karachi by Raheela Abro) (2021)
• Exhibition Catalogue – Alhamra National Exhibition of Visual Artists (2019)

• Facilitator – Art Education & Cultural Diplomacy: Potential(s) of Religious & Cultural Tourism for Conflict Resolution | Young Public Diplomacy Summit, Istanbul, Turkiye (Sept 2024)
• Instructor – Values, Identities, Actions: Oral Traditions to Achieve Sustainable Communities | World Summit of Art Education, Madeira Island, Portugal (March 2023)
• Instructor – Developing Academic Reading & Writing Practice in M. Phil Scholars (June 2020)
• Trainer – PSHE Tier I (Cascading) (Nov 2016)
• Trainer – Designing Online Quiz (Socrative, etc.) (Oct 2016)
• Trainer – E-Foundation (Cascading as Branch IT Expert) (March–June 2014)
• Instructor – MS Basics in Learning Café (For Parents) (June 2014)
• Trainer – Using Online Learning Communities (Edmodo) (Dec 2013)

• Creative Writing Course – The Writing Institute (Dec 2022–Jan 2023)
• Workshop on Lahore-Delhi Documentary Films (July 2022)
• NACTE: Documentation for Internal & External Program Audits – HEC (Jan 2021)
• WELSmain: Innovation Atelier, Practice-Oriented (Sept 2021)
• PhD Proposal Writing Workshop (Sept 2021)
• Online Advanced Training: Educator Level-2 (April 2020)
• Online Fundamental Training: Educator Level-1 (March 2020)
• Digital Citizenship (Jan 2020)
• Improving Literacy with Listening & Reading Strategies (Dec 2019)
• Engaging with CLIL – CLIL Competence for Primary (March 2019)
• Engaging with CLIL – Language Demands & Thinking Skills for Primary
• History of Arts (June 2018)
• Mentoring (Cohort I) (March 2017)
• DRP: Developing Reflective Practitioners (Oct 2017)
• PSHE Training Tier I (Oct 2016–Feb 2017)
• PSHE Training Tier II (Nov 2016)
• Olompolo Theatrical Workshop (Storytelling) (July 2017)
• ELE: Enhanced Learning Environment (March 2015)
• Math Course (April 2014)
• E-Foundation (Dec 2013)
• Girl Guiding Camp (Oct 23–28, 2000)
• Second Position in Cycling (Doubles) (Oct 5, 1999)

• Email Address: aatiqa.sheikh@bnu.edu.pk
• Ext number: 215