Pakistani researcher Aidah Abdul Wahid claimed second prize at the 4th SCO Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition on June 9, presenting her team’s revolutionary AI project “Z-UP” before 300 delegates from eight member states.

The Gwadar native, who is currently pursuing her doctorate at China Ocean University, showcased Z-UP: The Foundational Infrastructure for AI-Internet and Agentic-Web, which aims to revolutionize AI infrastructure by unifying fragmented AI systems into a seamless, intelligent network, Gwadar Pro reported on Tuesday.

It builds a collaborative B2B ecosystem for next-generation productivity by enabling enterprise-grade shared computing power. Her presentation highlighted the project’s breakthrough in virtualizing GPU infrastructure, enabling shared high-performance computing for AI and metaverse applications.

“My academic journey in China has opened doors to global innovation,” said Aidah, acknowledging her team’s foundation by researchers from AT&T Labs (formerly Bell Labs) and collaboration with top institutions including MIT, University of British Columbia (UBC), University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU).

“This achievement reflects Pakistan’s growing tech capabilities and shows our youth can lead in sustainable development solutions.” The competition saw 12 finalists selected from 200+ entries across AI, new materials and smart technologies. China’s unmanned airport project topped the list, while 35 percent of the shortlisted innovations involved cross-border teams-underlining the SCO’s emphasis on international cooperation.

Aidah dedicated her award to aspiring Pakistani scientists, particularly girls from Gwadar: “This platform proves our ideas matter globally. I want Balochistan’s youth to see no boundaries in STEM.” The event, part of the SCO Year of Sustainable Development, brought together government officials, entrepreneurs and tech leaders from Pakistan, China, Russia, Turkey, India and Central Asian states.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP) — Pak-China