A group of Pakistani middle school students made the country proud by clinching first place in the Social Innovation category at Teknofest 2025, one of the world’s most prestigious aerospace and technology festivals, held this year in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The win marks a remarkable achievement on the international stage and reinforces Pakistan’s emerging presence in global innovation circles.
The winning team, comprising Asma Fatima and Inaya Khan from Pak-Turk Maarif International Schools and Colleges, was guided by their teacher Gohar Khursheed. Their award-winning project, titled “Emotion Detector Gadget for Quadriplegic”, aims to improve the lives of individuals with speech paralysis by detecting and interpreting their emotional states, providing them a novel means of non-verbal communication.
The team received their prize during an official award ceremony, where they were honored by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Their victory was celebrated not only as a significant personal milestone but as a proud moment for Pakistan on the global innovation map.
Teknofest, Türkiye’s flagship aerospace and technology event, is backed by leading national organizations and institutions with the mission to foster innovation across critical technologies of the future. The festival has rapidly gained international stature, drawing participation from all 81 provinces of Türkiye and nearly 100 countries. The 2024 edition of the festival featured competitions held in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, with a staggering 333,000 team entries and over 1 million individual participants.
This year’s Social Innovation category at Teknofest saw intense global competition. According to the organizers, 268 finalist teams and 1,083 competitors from six countries were shortlisted from a pool of more than 47,000 entries submitted from 22 countries. The Pakistani team’s project stood out for its creative approach and meaningful application, ultimately winning the top spot.
In an interview with Dawn.com, Inaya Khan shared her excitement and pride in representing Pakistan at such a high-profile platform. “The experience was phenomenal,” she said. “We poured our hearts into this project. Every challenge we faced was worth it. This isn’t just a personal win—it’s a moment of pride for our school and our country.”
Teacher and mentor Gohar Khursheed highlighted the hard work and commitment of the students. “It shows that with dedication, creativity, and perseverance, young minds can make a real difference,” he said. He further elaborated that the emotion detection device was designed to interpret subtle cues in facial muscles and eye movement to communicate emotional states for those who are otherwise unable to express themselves vocally.
This win at Teknofest 2025 adds to a growing list of achievements by Pakistani youth in international science and technology competitions. In 2024, another group of Pakistani students secured three bronze medals at the 54th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) held in Isfahan, Iran, signaling a consistent upward trajectory for Pakistan’s youth in global STEM fields.
As international platforms like Teknofest continue to recognize the potential of young Pakistani innovators, the spotlight now turns to how these achievements can be nurtured further at home. With sustained support for STEM education, mentorship, and research-driven learning, the next generation of Pakistani students appears well on its way to becoming global technology leaders.
