Today, I wish to speak about something that quietly shapes the course of innovation, learning, and discovery: curiosity. In the academic world, where knowledge is both our pursuit and our purpose, curiosity acts not merely as an interest, but as a superpower that drives us to challenge what is known and seek what is not.
Curiosity is the force that compels a student to ask why, even when the textbook ends at how. It is what pushes a researcher to read one more paper, to run one more test, to look beyond what others have accepted as the final answer. It transforms education from a passive absorption of facts into an active exploration of ideas.
In our universities and institutes, we often talk of excellence, of rigour, of results. Yet, it is curiosity that breathes life into all of these. Without it, learning becomes mechanical, research becomes repetitive, and teaching becomes a script. But when curiosity is present, even the simplest question can open a door to entirely new fields of thought.
What makes curiosity a true superpower is its ability to cross boundaries. It does not recognise the limits of discipline or domain. A curious mind in engineering might borrow a solution from biology. A historian may find insight in data science. This cross-pollination of ideas is no accident. It is the product of minds that are unafraid to ask questions, to wonder, and to wander.
In a world that is changing rapidly, where the half-life of knowledge is shrinking, it is not merely what we know that matters, but our hunger to know more. Let us, therefore, cultivate curiosity, not just as a habit, but as a way of life. Because in academia, it is not just intelligence or hard work that leads the way forward. It is the quiet, persistent spark of curiosity.