A group of Pakistani middle school students has brought pride to the nation by winning first place in the Social Innovation category at the globally renowned Teknofest 2025 Aerospace and Technology Festival. Held in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the competition is one of the most prestigious technology festivals in the world, hosted with the support of Türkiye’s leading technology institutions and attracting tens of thousands of young innovators from around the globe.
This year, the standout winners from Pakistan were Asma Fatima and Inaya Khan, two students from Pak-Turk Maarif International Schools and Colleges. Guided by their teacher Gohar Khursheed, the team presented a project titled “Emotion Detector Gadget for Quadriplegic,” a socially driven innovation designed to support individuals suffering from speech paralysis. Their invention utilizes emotion-detection technology to interpret and communicate emotional states, addressing a crucial challenge faced by quadriplegic patients in expressing themselves. Their project was selected as the top entry among hundreds of social innovation submissions from around the world.
The recognition did not go unnoticed. During the award ceremony, the young innovators were honored by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, adding to the prestige of their accomplishment. This accolade marks not just a personal victory for the students and their school, but a moment of national pride for Pakistan as its youth continue to make significant contributions to global technology and innovation platforms.
Teknofest, organized annually by the Türkiye Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation) in collaboration with various governmental and private entities, aims to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. The 2024 edition of the festival, held across Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, featured competitions in 41 categories. It saw a staggering participation of over 333,000 teams and more than one million individual participants from all 81 provinces of Türkiye and 96 different countries.
Out of 47,000 submissions from 22 countries, only 268 teams representing six nations advanced to the final round. Among those, the Pakistani team emerged victorious in their category, outperforming 1,083 competitors. Their achievement highlights the growing potential of Pakistan’s youth to excel on the international stage when given the right opportunities and mentorship.
In a conversation with Dawn.com, student Inaya Khan expressed how the entire experience at Teknofest was “phenomenal,” describing the level of competition as intense and the quality of innovations as exceptional. She emphasized the personal dedication behind their project, stating, “Every challenge we faced was worth it. This isn’t just a personal win—it’s a moment of pride for our school and Pakistan.”
Their teacher, Gohar Khursheed, also reflected on the victory, pointing to the dedication and creativity of his students. “It shows that with dedication, creativity, and perseverance, young minds can make a real difference,” he said. He explained that the “Emotion Detector Gadget for Quadriplegic” was conceptualized to give a voice to individuals who are otherwise unable to communicate due to severe physical limitations.
This victory builds on a growing trend of Pakistani student excellence in global science and technology competitions. Just last year, a team from Pakistan won three bronze medals at the 54th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in Isfahan, Iran, reinforcing the narrative that Pakistan’s youth, when empowered, are capable of competing and excelling on any international platform.
As global interest in innovation and inclusive technology continues to rise, achievements like this not only shine a spotlight on Pakistan’s emerging talent pool but also send a strong message about the importance of investing in education, creativity, and STEM innovation for social good.
