Pakistan achieved another milestone in international science competitions by winning three bronze medals at the 56th International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), held in Bucaramanga, Colombia.
The Pakistani team secured bronze medals through Zulfiqar Ali of Government City Boys School, Dera Ghazi Khan, Ali Hamdan Alvi of FG Sir Syed College, Rawalpindi, and Daniyal Shahzad Hamid of The Science School, Rawat, Islamabad.
Hazza Mahmood of Aitchison College, Lahore, and Abdullah Ejaz of Siddeeq Public School, Rawalpindi, earned honourable mentions for their commendable performance.
The 56th International Physics Olympiad brought together more than 400 students from over 90 countries, providing a prestigious platform for young physicists to demonstrate their scientific knowledge and problem-solving abilities.
The students were selected through the 22nd National Science Talent Contest (NSTC) conducted under the STEM Careers Programme, a joint initiative of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS).
Following a rigorous nationwide selection process, the selected students underwent a series of intensive residential training camps at the PIEAS campus, where they received advanced theoretical and experimental training from both national and international experts.
The Pakistan team was led by Prof Dr Muhammad Irfan and Dr Muhammad Waseem of PIEAS.
Pakistan has been participating in the International Physics Olympiad since 2001, the International Mathematical Olympiad since 2005, and the International Biology and Chemistry Olympiads since 2006.
Since the inception of the STEM Careers Programme, more than 365 Pakistani students have represented the country at the International Science Olympiads, winning a total of 144 medals.
In addition, over 5,000 students have benefited from more than 256 advanced training camps conducted under the programme.