Pakistan has won a Silver Award at the Asian Science Camp (ASC) 2026, held from August 2 to 8 at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), with Pakistani student Pariwash Hakim securing the award for her research project. The achievement marks a significant recognition of the scientific talent of Pakistani youth at the international level, with the Asian Science Camp bringing together young science students from across the world for direct interaction with eminent scientists and Nobel laureates alongside research based competitions and academic activities.
The ASC is an annual international science event involving 48 participating nations, with each country sending its own official delegation. The 2026 edition attracted more than 350 young science students, offering both collegiate and non collegiate participants opportunities for learning, networking, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas with leading scientists and researchers from around the world. As part of the camp, participants competed in a research proposal based poster competition, with Pariwash Hakim’s project among 12 shortlisted from a total of 54 projects presented at the event. The finalists then pitched their proposals before a 13 member judging panel comprising Nobel laureates, university faculty members, and industry experts, with evaluation based on the quality of ideas, presentation, adherence to allotted time, visualisation, and the potential impact of the proposed research.
The Pakistani delegation comprised five students selected from across the country through a transparent and merit based process conducted by the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), an autonomous organisation working under the Ministry of Science and Technology for the promotion of science in Pakistan. The selected team represented all provinces and included Danish Khan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Abdullah Imtiaz from Islamabad, Baseer Khan from Balochistan, Mahnoor Amjad from Punjab, and Pariwash Hakim from Sindh. The PSF provides equal opportunities to male and female students and annually selects five students from across Pakistan to represent the country at the Asian Science Camp, also covering the financial costs of the selection process and participation of the national delegation.
The selection process for the Pakistani team involves multiple stages of evaluation, beginning roughly six months before the camp when PSF invites applications from eligible students through an open advertisement. Following initial shortlisting, candidates are invited to appear in a written test conducted across six major cities in Pakistan, after which shortlisted candidates attend an in person interview at PSF headquarters in Islamabad before a selection committee. The final team is chosen based on aggregate scores from the written test and interview. The delegation was led by Syeda Rehana Batool, Director of Science Popularisation at the Pakistan Science Foundation, and the team expressed appreciation for the support extended by the Foundation, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and federal officials in facilitating their participation on the international scientific platform.
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