SWABI, July 11: A seven-member squad—five students and two officials--has left for Iran on Wednesday to participate in the 38th International Physics Olympiad contest to be held in Isfahan from July 13 to 22.

Dr Ibrahim Qazi of the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology is leading the team while Al-Hasanat Rasul, acting project director, Science Technology Engineering Mathematics, Careers Project, Higher Education Commission, is his deputy.

The students were trained in GIK Institute.

Talking to Dawn before their departure, Dr Qazi said: “Several countries are participating in the contest, including those with advanced physics education.

However, our students are well prepared and I hope they will excel in the competition.”The team members are: Maham Siddiqi (The City School Islamabad), Mohammad Suleman Mahmood (Resource Academia, Lahore) Haroon Masood (Beacon House Margalla campus, Islamabad), Mohammad Zeshan Javed (Bahria college Islamabad) and Mohammad Sami Tahir (St. Patrick’s high school).