Implemented by the Pi Space Science Education Centre (PSSEC), in partnership with the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) Association and powered by Aramco, the Pakistan Innovation Quest (PIQ) is expanding access to meaningful robotics and STEM learning across Pakistan. PIQ is a national initiative breaking down barriers to robotics education for young people historically excluded by cost, geography, gender, or disability.
The initiative aims to reach 10,000 learners and 300 teachers through more than 60 RoboStarter Sprints, six regional competitions and a National Showcase. PIQ creates a clear pathway for students: from encountering robotics for the first time, to developing original solutions for real-world challenges, to competing regionally, and progressing toward the World Robot Olympiad Pakistan platform.
Aramco’s partnership has enabled PIQ to deliver free training across public and private schools, low-income communities, NGO-supported institutions, and girls’ schools.
PIQ is also proving that meaningful STEM inclusion must encompass ability. At Deaf Reach School, deaf students engaged in hands-on robotics training, supported by interpreters and trainers fluent in sign language. For many, it was their first opportunity to work with a robotics kit—not as observers, but as builders, problem-solvers, and innovators.
“Talent is universal. Access is not—and that is the divide Pakistan Innovation Quest was created to close,” said Zartaj Ahmed, CEO and Co-Founder of PSSEC and National Organizer of WRO Pakistan. “With Aramco enabling this initiative, we are reaching the child who has never held a robotics kit, the girl who has never imagined herself as an engineer, and the deaf learner who deserves to innovate without barriers.”
PIQ’s RoboStarter Sprints combine practical robotics training with the WRO Future Innovators project cycle. Students work toward WRO certification, while teachers receive professional development to sustain robotics learning within their institutions long after the training ends.
The movement has already trained more than 6,000 learners and 518 teachers, reaching Karachi, Lahore, Hyderabad, Gujranwala, and Kasur. Around 60 institutions have joined the network. PIQ is targeting more than 40 percent female participation and plans to donate 100 robotics kits to underserved institutions to support continued learning beyond the initiative.
Hussain N. Hanbazazah, Aramco Vice President of Communications Operations & Corporate Citizenship, said: “At Aramco, we see STEM education as an investment in the innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders of tomorrow. Through our Global STEM Education Program, we aim to expand access to meaningful learning opportunities and reach young people globally. Our collaboration with PSSEC and the World Robot Olympiad brings 10,000 robotics opportunities to students across Pakistan. By investing in both students and teachers, we are turning curiosity into capability and creating a lasting impact that extends beyond student participation.”
Regional winners will advance to the PIQ National Showcase, where students and teachers will present their solutions to school leaders, government representatives, STEM partners, and international stakeholders. The strongest participants will secure pathways to future WRO Pakistan competitions.
With Aramco helping turn that principle into action, PIQ is enabling young Pakistanis to see themselves not simply as users of tomorrow’s technology, but as its creators.
