Pakistani students win top innovation prize at global Turkish tech festival

Middle-school team awarded at Teknofest 2025 for emotion-detection device designed to assist people with severe physical disabilities

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (MNTV) — Two Pakistani middle-school students have won first prize in the Social Innovation category at Teknofest 2025, a major international aerospace and technology festival held this year in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.

Representing Pak-Turk Maarif International Schools and Colleges, Asma Fatima and Inaya Khan were honored for their project Emotion Detector Gadget for Quadriplegic, a device designed to help individuals with severe physical impairments express emotional states using assistive technology. 

The pair, along with their teacher Gohar Khursheed, received the award from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during the festival’s closing ceremony on Saturday.

According to the festival’s organizers, Teknofest 2025 received more than 47,000 project submissions from 22 countries. 

Only 268 teams and 1,083 participants advanced to the finals, competing across categories that emphasized innovation, aerospace, and social impact.

Fatima and Inaya Khan’s project won top honors in the middle-school division, standing out among teams from six countries. 

“The competition was intense, but our dedication paid off,” said Khan to Dawn. “We’re not just celebrating a trophy—we’re celebrating the power of innovation to change lives.”

Teacher Gohar Khursheed described the invention as a breakthrough for accessibility. “This device gives a voice to people who cannot speak,” he said. 

“It’s a reminder that meaningful innovation can begin in a classroom.”

Teknofest, launched in 2018 by Türkiye’s top technology and defense institutions, has grown into a major international platform for showcasing youth-led science and tech solutions. 

Previous editions have been held in Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir, attracting global participants and millions of visitors.

This latest win follows a growing pattern of Pakistani students gaining recognition in global STEM contests. 

In 2023, a Pakistani team earned three bronze medals at the International Physics Olympiad in Iran.

As Pakistan continues to invest in STEM education and technology entrepreneurship, the success of young innovators like Fatima and Khan reflects the country’s emerging presence in international innovation arenas.