The Department of Mechatronics Engineering at College of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (CEME) successfully hosted the 22nd National Engineering Robotics Contest (NERC), reaffirming its status as Pakistan’s foremost platform for robotics, innovation and engineering excellence.
Welcoming participants and guests, Engr Asheer Mahmood Khan, Commandant, College of E&ME, lauded the remarkable growth of NERC over the past two decades and commended the increasingly sophisticated technical standards demonstrated by competing teams.
The Chief Guest, Major General Atique Ahmed, HI (M), DG EME, Pakistan Army, lauded NUST and CEME for their unwavering commitment to cultivating a culture of innovation and technological advancement among Pakistan’s youth. He described NERC as a transformative platform that nurtures creativity, collaboration, technical proficiency, and problem-solving capabilities. Expressing immense satisfaction with the calibre of the competition, he remarked that the ingenuity and enthusiasm displayed by the participants offered encouraging prospects for Pakistan’s technological future. In recognition of their achievements, he also announced the doubling of prize money for the winners.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Dr Hamid Jabbar, Head of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, extended his gratitude to the participants, organisers, volunteers, sponsors and partner institutions whose collective efforts contributed to the resounding success of the event.
Since its inception in 2003, NERC has evolved into the country’s largest and most prestigious robotics competition. This year’s edition attracted approximately 247 teams from schools, colleges, universities, and private organisations across Pakistan, competing in nine diverse categories including Indigenous Robotics, Modular Robotics, RoboWars, and Aero challenges.
The event was organised in collaboration with the STEM Careers Programme and the Higher Education Commission (HEC), with invaluable support from the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF), Headstart School, National Centre of Robotics and Automation (NCRA), and the Society of Mechatronics Engineers (SOME).
Awards were conferred in a wide range of categories, including Aero Build and Fly, Aero Flying Exhibition, SumoWar, RoboWar, Modular, Ready to Race, and the flagship Indigenous Robotics Category. Special honours included the Akhtar Nawaz Team Spirit Award, presented in memory of the late Brigadier Dr Akhtar Nawaz Malik, pioneer of NERC and founding Head of the Department of Mechatronics Engineering, as well as the Best Engineering Design Awards, recognising exceptional innovation, ingenuity and engineering excellence.