Walk through the physics departments of many Pakistani public universities and you will find classrooms full of capable students and laboratories that are either locked, outdated or absent entirely. While funding constraints are real, the deeper problem is structural. Pakistani universities have built their academic culture largely around examination performance. As an undergraduate physics student, I entered university inspired by the discoveries of great scientists and expecting to encounter an environment of research and experimentation. However, after nearly four years of study, I realised that many students graduate having never designed an experiment, reviewed a research paper or worked alongside a faculty member on a genuine scientific question. We then wonder why so few pursue research careers, and why many of those who do seek opportunities abroad.
Research thinking must be developed early through supervised projects, functioning laboratories and mentors who are themselves actively engaged in inquiry. Where these conditions exist, students respond. Where they do not, even the most motivated students eventually redirect their ambitions. Pakistan will not develop a scientific culture by examining students harder. It will develop one by giving students something worth doing.
Usama Tahir
Nawabshah
