Young scientists; Two students to compete at international level

Twelfth-graders will present their science projects in the US.

ISLAMABAD: Two 12th graders, Karachi’s Habab Idrees and Vehari’s Shadab Rasool, will represent Pakistan at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Pennsylvania, USA in May.

They qualified for ISEF after winning the National Science Competition, organised by Intel Pakistan at Sir Syed Memorial Complex here on Saturday.

Idrees won first position in the science competition by inventing a solar-powered multipurpose thermostat device. He hails from Korangi, Karachi. His father works in a tannery.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Idrees said he wanted to facilitate the poor with his solar device. He said he wanted to become one of the top scientists of the country one day. He said the credit for the success of his science project went to his family and friends. He also thanked Pakistan Science Club Korangi where he carried out the research work.

Shadab Rasool came second in the science competition.

Sponsored by Intel, ISEF is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, providing an annual forum for more than 1,800 high school students from about 70 countries, regions and territories to showcase their research as they compete for over $5 million annually.

Finalists, in grades 9 through 12, emerge from a field of approximately one million students who compete in more than 500 regional Intel ISEF affiliated science fairs around the world.

A total of 197 young scientists from across Pakistan participated in the national science fair. They submitted 94 science projects.

The competitors at the national level were selected from competitions at the district and tehsil level.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 1^st, 2015.