Lighting the path: empowering girls through optics outreach in Pakistan

Imrana Ashraf Zahid and Mohammad Zahid

Department of Physics,  Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan

In memory of Professor Gallieno Denardo, ICTP Italy

This write-up presents presents the outreach journey of the Active Learning in Optics (ALO) group at the Department of Physics, Quaid-i-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad. Founded in 2016, ALO’s mission is to promote science education—particularly optics and photonics—among underrepresented female students in Pakistan. The inspiration for this initiative was drawn from UNESCO’s International Year of Light (2015) and from the mentorship and vision of Professor Galliano Denardo, whose dedication to science outreach and education at ICTP continues to inspire generations. Over the past years, ALO has conducted more than 90 outreach sessions in schools and women’s universities across Pakistan. This write-up describes the pedagogical approach, regional outreach strategies, challenges, and achievements of ALO, highlighting its contribution to empowering young women through science in Pakistan.

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