When the classroom travels
The writer is a Professor of Physics at the University of Karachi
Travelling with students is never merely a matter of distance. It is a movement of minds. A bus journey, when connected with an academic purpose, can become a moving classroom, a shared experience and a reminder that education does not begin and end within the walls of a lecture hall. Some lessons are learned from books, some from teachers, and some from the atmosphere of participation itself.
Recently, I had the opportunity to travel with students and faculty members from the Department of Physics, University of Karachi, to Government College University Hyderabad for the International Conference on Frontiers of Modern Physics and Sustainable Technologies, FMST-2026. The journey from Karachi to Hyderabad was not simply a departmental visit. It became an academic experience filled with conversation, curiosity, companionship and the quiet excitement that appears when young minds move toward a wider world of knowledge.
The theme of the conference was timely and relevant. Modern physics is no longer confined to abstract theories, blackboards and laboratory demonstrations. It is now deeply connected with clean energy, climate action, advanced materials, nanotechnology, data science, environmental monitoring and sustainable development. A subject once perceived by many students as difficult and theoretical increasingly stands at the centre of technological and social transformation. Physics today is present in solar cells, medical imaging, sensors, communication systems, climate models, radiation technologies and advanced materials.
This is precisely why such conferences matter. In classrooms, students learn equations, laws, theories and definitions. At conferences, they witness how those ideas are presented, questioned, debated and connected with real problems. This exposure cannot be fully replaced by textbooks or online lectures. It gives students a sense that science is alive, unfinished and open to their own contribution.
For our students, the visit was especially meaningful. Many of them experienced how physics can speak to the urgent needs of Pakistan: energy insecurity, environmental stress, water-related challenges, industrial development and scientific capacity-building. When young people see their discipline linked with national needs, their relationship with learning changes. Physics then stops being merely an examination subject and begins to appear as a tool for understanding and improving the world.
The travel itself carried symbolic value. Moving from Karachi to Hyderabad represented a movement from routine academic life toward active participation. During the journey, students discussed research topics, presentations, future studies and the role of science in society. Such informal exchanges are often as important as formal lectures. Students learn from atmosphere, conduct, discipline and participation. They learn by watching how academic communities behave, how questions are asked, how ideas are received and how knowledge is shared.
The organisers of FMST-2026 deserve sincere appreciation. Organising an international conference requires vision, planning, coordination and commitment. The Department of Physics at GC University Hyderabad created a platform where modern physics, sustainable technologies and national development could be discussed together. Academic events do not happen automatically; they are built through invisible labour, institutional goodwill and a belief in the value of scholarly exchange.
Academic visits also strengthen inter-university relationships. Karachi and Hyderabad are geographically close, but such engagements bring institutions closer intellectually. Faculty members meet colleagues, students meet peers, and departments discover possibilities for cooperation. A healthy research culture cannot grow in isolation. It requires meetings, exchanges, questions and shared aspirations. Universities must not become islands; they must remain bridges.
Our journey to GC University Hyderabad was a small but meaningful contribution to the scientific culture of Pakistan. FMST-2026 reminded us that the future of physics lies not only in equations and laboratories, but also in journeys, conversations, collaborations and the shared commitment to build a more sustainable world.