New Directions South Asia 2025, British Council’s flagship conference on language testing and assessment, made its South Asia debut on February 21 bringing together participants from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
The two-day conference commenced with a ceremony featuring senior representatives from the British Council. Professor Barry O’Sullivan OBE, Director of English Language Research at the British Council delivered the keynote address on the conference theme “Technology and tradition: The changing face of assessment in English language learning systems”.
“The British Council, with its expertise in delivering high-quality English language services and examinations, is well-positioned to support South Asia’s knowledge ambitions,” read the statement released after the event. “The first-ever South Asian edition of New Directions marks a significant step towards addressing the growing importance of English language assessment in the region.”
The conference brought together participants from across the region offering a unique opportunity to address the evolving demands of multilingual and interconnected educational systems. Over these two days, regional and international leaders in education came together to create a collaborative platform for policymakers, educators, academics, teachers and assessment experts.
Rustom Mody, Country Director Nepal, British Council said, “It was inspiring to see this landmark conference come to life, bringing together such diverse expertise from across the region and beyond to address the evolving landscape of English language assessment. By hosting New Directions in South Asia, we convened the region’s thought leaders to shape the future of English language assessment, empowering the wider South Asian region to compete, collaborate and thrive on the world stage.”
Professor Barry O’Sullivan OBE, Director, English Language Research, British Council said, “The launch of New Directions in South Asia marks a significant milestone in our journey of driving innovation in English language assessment worldwide. The rich discussions that unfolded here demonstrate how bringing together thought-leaders, educators and policymakers under one roof creates meaningful dialogue on the intersection of technology and tradition.”
Meanwhile, speaking on ‘Challenges and approaches in assessing language learning in young learners’, Victoria Murphy, Professor of Applied Linguistics and Director of the Department of Education, University of Oxford shared, “The discussions at New Directions South Asia highlight our shared commitment to developing assessment approaches that respect young learners’ developmental stages while preparing them for future success. By combining research-backed methodologies with emerging technologies, we can create assessment frameworks that are both rigorous and child-friendly, supporting the unique needs of young language learners across the Region.”
The conference, which brought together 250 individuals, featured two plenary sessions, four panel discussions, and 30+ parallel sessions. The discussions were centred around four key strands: English for Employability, artificial intelligence (AI) in English Education, assessing young learners and the role of English in multilingual education contexts
In Nepal, the British Council hosted a parallel in-country session of New Directions South Asia on February 21 in collaboration with the Nepal English Language Teachers’ Association.
The event brought together key education stakeholders, including officials from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, and teacher educators.
The session in Delhi was broadcast live in Kathmandu for in-country participants. Dr Mahashram Sharma, Chairman of the National Examination Board, Nepal, along with the Undersecretary of the Department for Foreign Employment, attended the event in person in Delhi, accoridng to the British Council.
