The three-day Karachi International Books and Technology Fair (KIBTF) kicked off at the Karachi Expo Centre on Friday.

Educational technologies, STEM competitions and thought-provoking talk sessions are also part of the festival.

Authors, publishers, innovators, startup founders and other experts are participating during the three-day festival.

“Haprow”, a cute little robot, grabbed attention as it was fabricated in Pakistan with the efforts of the National Incubation Centre, Karachi. The AI-enabled robot helps children in learning and is designed to be a virtual friend for children with autism. Its different version is a disinfection robot that kills germs and pathogens with ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Students in a competition at KIBTF. PHOTO: KIBTF

Various new startups also showcased their digital products, offering 100% online classes with an effective learning feedback mechanism. An Islamabad-based company presented its school books with STEM learning to empower pupils with coding even at the primary level. Another ed-tech startup presented its experience in project-based learning for young minds to avoid rote learning.

KIBTF kicks off in Karachi. PHOTO: KIBTF

Fiction Genie and Storise are two homegrown companies dedicated to producing audiobooks of Pakistani publishers, as it is much needed in the scenario of digital learning. Both companies said they are working to provide a bigger platform for Pakistani authors and publishers.

Students from different institutions participated in STEM competitions at KIBTF. PHOTO: BY AUTHOR

Robothon and STEM competitions were another hallmark at KIBTF, where students from different schools participated with creative ideas.

Discussion sessions

KIBTF also arranged parallel sessions on learning and education. Different experts talked about the future of learning, teaching with AI, the single national curriculum, the role of journalism in education, smart classrooms and the future of book publishing.

Panel discussions and talks are part of the fair. PHOTO: AUTHOR

Ameena Saiyad, Dr Nigar Sajjad Zaheer, Ali K Chishti, Dr Naveed Yousuf and others expressed their views on different topics directly or indirectly related to education and learning.

May 3 is the last day of KIBTF, where many inspirational discussions are planned. The topics range from AI in classrooms, ed-tech startups, learning strategies for autistic children, and talks on other subjects to be held.