I developed a passion for physics when I was around 11 and have had an unwavering loyalty to the subject since then. I remember asking for a telescope for one of my birthdays and getting a small one from a retail store that was more suited for fun and games than a professional sky gazing experience. It would take frustratingly long to focus on the moon or a star and the more you zoomed in, the more still you had to be, to the extent that I had to hold my breath so I wouldn’t disturb the focus. It taught me a valuable lesson in patience.

Hailing from a family of medical professionals, physics wasn't the natural choice of profession, medicine was. However, though I had tremendous respect for the medical field, I had little interest in pursuing it myself. It was physics I was passionate about. It was difficult then as it is now to stray far from the beaten track, the obvious career choices for those doing well in school was engineering and medicine as finance, law and medicine is these days. These professions offered an honorable job with well-defined career goals.

However, my obvious commitment to the subject and a few wise words from my teachers was enough to convince my parents that what I could do for physics, I could not do for another field. A sincere passion for a subject and the desire to excel in it can go a long way in doing it justice. I sometimes wonder how many potential Nobel Prize winners are doing desk jobs or how many potential Roger Federers are making a living as mechanics/waiters/chauffeurs because for one reason or another they weren't able to pursue what they loved and excelled in.

I believe, as a society, there is a fundamental need to change our attitude towards education in order to cultivate an environment that can produce world class scientists. The pursuit of science, in particular physics, requires an inquisitive mind, one that is intrigued by the workings of the Universe and questions the how, why and when of the laws of nature. It is the result of such questioning that generally forms the basis for a research endeavor.

Having spent the early years of my schooling in what was considered one of the better schools in northern Pakistan, I now realise that the emphasis on rote learning in a language that even the teachers did not comprehend, stifled the development of inquisitive thinking and problem solving, skills so critical for science. Our school system encourages and endorses the ability to regurgitate an entire chapter rather than the ability to construct an argument based on independent and rational thought. Since most of the teachers have been through the same education system, they're practically inept at dealing with intellectual curiosity and as this is often seen as a challenge to their authority, it is strongly discouraged.

Whereas my early schooling in Pakistan taught me the ability to memorise large chunks of information, I owe my intellectual curiosity and independence of thought to the Western education system. Although things have improved since then, the majority of private schools and all government schools in Pakistan are still plagued by this and it doesn't seem to be restricted to the school system; our family environment also shuns curiosity by actively discouraging any questioning of the elders or opposition to their views. Science cannot thrive in an environment where freedom of thought and expression is restricted and if we are to produce brilliant young minds we need to review our approach to education not just in the workplace or school but also at home.

A change in attitude is particularly important in order to mobilise the women of our country, who account for a valuable half of the workforce, to pursue higher education and contribute to the public realm. I've been lucky to come across few of the social stigmas and stereotypes that one may expect a female Pakistani scientist to encounter. Growing up with an educated working mother, I didn't have to look far from home for a female role model and I think it is vital we understand the significance of the role an educated wife, mother or daughter plays in shaping not only the current generation, but also future generations.

Whereas Pakistan is producing some brilliant young men and women, there are not nearly enough to represent the breadth of talent I believe the country possesses. This is never more evident to me than when I see a child laborer craft a masterpiece of a mechanical device from the scrap materials he found in the rubbish heap. It is then that I realise, somewhere our system has failed him. Who knows, he could have been the next James Dyson.