By Rafiq Vayani
KARACHI: Dawood Public School (DPS) hosted D-Inventia 2026 today at TDF’s MagnifiScience Centre, bringing together students from Grades 5 to 10 from 11 schools across Karachi for a day focused on innovation, creativity, problem-solving and hands-on learning. Held under the theme “Ideas in Action and Innovation in Motion,” the event was built as a Battle of Minds.
This year’s edition also marks ten years of collaboration between DPS and The Dawood Foundation (TDF), from 2016 to 2026, and five years of MagnifiScience Centre.
The event was graced by Prof. Dr. Shahana Urooj Kazmi, former Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University of Karachi, as the Chief Guest.
The participating schools included: Dawood Public School (host), Karachi Grammar School, Haque Academy, The C.A.S. School, Generations School, Mama Parsi, Happy Home School, Ecole School of Success, The Academy, Nasra School and Khadija Kazi Ali Memorial Higher Secondary School.
Designed to take learning beyond the traditional classroom, D-Inventia featured five interactive modules: RoboSphere, Venture Dash, Greenovate, Logic-Craft and Math-A-Thon. Each offered students a distinct challenge rooted in practical application, critical thinking and creativity.
“D-Inventia is a celebration of science, ideas and intellectual curiosity: the voice that asks ‘Why?’, ‘How?’ and ‘What if?’” said Iffat Basrai, Principal, Dawood Public School. “Imagine it as a circuit. Our students are the energy, powering it with their questions and imagination; teachers and mentors are the conductors guiding that energy; and schools, parents and partners create the connections that help ideas travel.”
Explaining the format, she added, “The competition covers five different modules: the three sciences, physics, chemistry and biology, and mathematics. To these we have added robotics and Python-based programming, and new this year is a module on commerce. Money and how it is distributed is such an important factor, and economics plays a big role in our daily lives, so that module is the fifth addition to our STEM modules. So do not be afraid of a wrong answer. Be willing to ask, explore and experiment, because discovery begins when we are curious enough to look beyond what we already know.”
The inter-school format provided students with an opportunity to interact with peers from different schools, exchange ideas and work collaboratively while applying their knowledge in practical settings.
“MagnifiScience Centre stands for Science is for All, and that mission runs through the entire TDF,” said Favad Soomro, CEO, The Dawood Foundation. “We are celebrating ten years of joint collaboration, in which numerous exhibitions and competitions have been held.
Through this journey, one of the most beautiful science museums, and the only one of its kind, was born, and MagnifiScience Centre now turns five. We wanted to celebrate curiosity and the use of museums by inviting the brightest minds of the city to interact with our exhibits, to look at the spirit behind them and the perennial laws of science at play in our everyday lives.”
D-Inventia reflects Dawood Public School’s commitment to creating meaningful learning experiences that extend beyond academics and equip students with skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, innovation and problem-solving.
The event concluded with a closing ceremony and prize distribution, where outstanding participants and teams were recognised for their performance, creativity, teamwork and approach to the challenges.
With students from schools across Karachi coming together under one platform, D-Inventia 2026 provided a space for young minds to think, create, solve and innovate.
rafiq@biztoday.news
