Pakistani Students Shine at International Physics Olympiad
At the 54th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) in Isfahan, Iran, from July 21 to 28, the Pakistan team brought home three bronze medals! Talha Ashraf from Nixor College, Karachi, Huzaifa Altamash from Lahore Grammar School, Johar Town, Lahore, and Mohammad Salman Tarar from The Science School, Islamabad, each won a bronze medal. Mohammad Saad Bilal from Siddeeq Public School & College, Rawalpindi, also earned an honorable mention.
The team’s success was supported by the STEM Careers Programme, a collaboration between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Science (PIEAS). They received training at PIEAS, Islamabad, under the guidance of Dr. Mohammad Irfan and Prof. Dr. Amanur Rehman, with Prof. Dr. Najeebur Rehman and Dr. Rahmatullah from Comsats, Islamabad, leading them during the competition.
This year was special as all four team members who trained at PIEAS received medals and certificates. PIEAS, part of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), runs the National Science Talent Contest (NSTC) annually in physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics. This contest, which evolved from the National Physics Talent Contest (NPTC) started in 1995, aims to boost science education for students in their crucial intermediate years.
Through the STEM Careers Programme, students selected in the NSTC from 19 cities across Pakistan get extra training to compete in International Science Olympiads (ISOs). The top 50 students from the screening tests are invited to residential training camps, where they prepare intensively for these prestigious competitions.
