You all probably know about team Auj by now, they’ve made waves due to the unique nature of their team and the amazing events that they will be representing Pakistan in.

What is Auj?

The first question that must pop into your head is what does Auj really mean? Thier team lead, Azka told us that ‘Auj’ is an Urdu word denoting ‘pinnacle’ or the highest level of activity, quality, or achievement. The aim of their team is to assure that representation of our aim of assuring Pakistani women they can achieve anything they set their mind to.

What makes them special?

Team Auj is Pakistan’s first all-girls team to be selected for the international Formula Student competition (FSUK) 2018 with a total of 97 teams. Their project includes designing and manufacturing a formula-style car. They’re currently working on designing a combustion car with 90bhp to achieve maximum acceleration with the speed 120-140. The car is being assembled at SADA, NUST.

The Formula Student competition the girls will be participating in is an international event. Teams from all around the world come to exhibit and race their own formula-style cars. The competition is set to be held in July this year at the Silverstone race track in England. If you follow this event, keep an eye out for the girls’ car number 199!

They’re not even slightly worried about being the only all-girls team as their lead highlighted, “We have girls doing everything here, from designing suspensions to running simulations to being the driver for our race car. We feel completely confident in being an all-girls team.”

How it all happened?

When asked about how it all happened their team lead said, “At the beginning of 2017, the founders of Team Auj stumbled upon the Formula Student competition when they came across another team working on the chassis for their car. In the initial stages, owing to immense workload and a hectic academic calendar, many members withdrew till it was reduced to an all-girls team of 14 students. This gave birth to the idea of creating Pakistan’s first all-girls team to take part in the Formula Student competition.”

The founders of Team Auj were all industrial designers to be who wanted to see if their collaboration with engineers and business students could result in something unique. Taking up the challenge, the team trained in various fields such as design, modeling, and prototyping. Moreover, they have attended various workshops on how to operate different types of machinery in Pakistan.

What kept them going?

There is no doubt they faced immense difficulties throughout their work but as their team leader put it, ” the unparalleled dedication and hard work convinced us to utilize the FSUK platform for the greater good, thus we began striving towards boosting women empowerment in Pakistan through our notable presence in a male-dominated field. Also, NUST enabled us to grow into the strong independent women who were able to step out of their comfort zone to experience something new.”

What they plan to achieve?

Team Auj is confident about the competition hoping to land among the top 30 teams. Apart from that, they aim to create a platform for women to break stereotypes and to participate in male-dominated fields, thereby encouraging Pakistani women to enter the world of motorsports.

What they need and deserve?

Irrespective of the fact if you know what car manufacturing is or not you must know it is not an easy job as it requires approaching giant industries in search of material and sponsorship. In their team leads’ words, “we do receive moral support from people who appreciate us breaking stereotypes but Auj is still looking for sponsors and financial support, in order to make it to the competition.”

Their message to Pakistanis?

“We Pakistanis are a nation of talented, strong-willed individuals who can do whatever they set their mind to. We are strong and our youth has what it takes to make a difference in the world. Also, please like and support us on Facebook and Instagram. We’re still looking for financial support. Help us in any way you can.”

What do you guys think about team Auj?

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Cover image via: Team Auj