Sorena Sattari, Vice President of Science and Technology, Alireza Marandi, President of Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences and Abdolsalam Al-Majali, President of Islamic World’s Academy of sciences gave the prestigious Mustafa (pbuh) Prize to the Laureates, Professor Jackie Y. Ying from Singapore and Professor Omar Yaghi from Jordan.
Mustafa (pbuh) Prize in its first round, was awarded in “Nanoscience and Nanotechnology” and “top scientific achievement in other fields” categories.
According to the Public Relations Department of Mustafa (pbuh) Prize, after screening short films about life and career of selected scientists of Mustafa (pbuh) Prize, Prof. Ying winner of Life Sciences and Medicine category gave her speech.
Professor Ying talked about her participation in Mustafa (pbuh) Prize and appreciated her thesis advisor who had an important role in her life and professional career.
She also added, “I appreciate my colleagues, my parents who are always supportive even when I converted to Islam, my daughter who is very understanding despite of her age and although I spend a short time with her.”
She continued, “I am very thankful to my friend Nourina, my close friend and dear colleague who introduced Islam to me. Islam changed my life and it changed my goal in life."
She also appreciated the jury of Mustafa (pbuh) Prize and said, “the best thing in this event is that it is a gathering of Muslim World scientists which is very helpful for improving science and technology in Muslim countries.”
Professor Omar Yaghi, winner of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology category in his speech stated, “it is a great honor to receive Mustafa (pbuh) Prize. I thank members of policy making council of this prize. I was born in Jordan and when I was 10, I got familiar with drawing molecular structures and this love is with me since then.”
He also maintained that governments should give freedom to scientists and let them experience failure after failure to find the way of success and that is the true way of success in scientific fields.
At the end he expressed his appreciation toward Mustafa (pbuh) Prize organizers for selecting him as the winner of the first edition of this science and technology award.
Mustafa (pbuh) Prize initiative was organized by the efforts of the Vice-Presidency of Science and Technology and approved in Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution in 2012. It now interacts and cooperates with international institutions and universities around the world.
Mustafa (pbuh) Prize is based on scientific endowments and donations and is independent of the state budget. This prize consists of a Policy Making Council which is chaired by Sorena Sattari, Vice President of Science and Technology.
MS/PR