On Monday, September 18th, at the press conference of the 5th Mustafa Prize Award Ceremony, Prof. Ali Akbar Salehi, Vice-President for Research and Deputy President of the Academy, stated that the 2023 Mustafa Prize Award will be jointly granted to Professor Ahmed Hassan and Professor Omid Farokhzad.
Head of Mustafa Prize scientific working group, Prof. Salehi, introduced the winners as follows:
- Prof. Ahmed Hassan, born in Egypt in 1976, professor at the Queen’s University for his work on Mining Software Repositories (MSR), in the field of Information and Communication Science and Technology
- Prof. Omid Farokhzad, born in Iran in 1968, for his work on Design, Development, and Clinical Translation of Novel Polymeric Nanomedicines, in the field of Life and Medical Science and Technology
Prof. Salehi also introduced the three selected scientists living in Islamic countries who will receive the Mustafa Prize as follows:
- Prof. Samia Khoury, Born in Lebanon in 1958, professor at the American University of Beirut for her work on Novel Approaches for the Care of MS Patients: Pathogenesis and Mechanisms of Regulation and Tolerance, in the field of Life and Medical Science and Technology
- Prof. Murat Uysal, born in Turkey in 1973, professor at the New York University Abu Dhabi in UAE for his work on Optical Wireless Communication (OWC), in the field of Information and Communication Science and Technology
- Prof. Ahmad Fauzi Ismail, born in Cambodia in 1966, professor at the University of Technology Malaysia for his work on Development of Membrane Technology Applications, in the field of Basic and Engineering Sciences
Afterwards, Prof. Salehi explained the history of this Prize: The statutes of the Mustafa Prize were approved by the Supreme Council of Cultural Revolution in 2012, and the first round of the Ceremony was in 2015, and the fifth round will be held this year.
He reminded that the Prize is both for science and the scientist. A scientist who pursues science and makes a discovery that brings about the well-being of humanity and is beneficial in various fields, moves in the frontiers of knowledge and advanced technology. So far, the winners of the Prize have been those scientists whose achievements have been beneficial. In addition, a scientist must have a good reputation, master technical skills, strong communication skills, and be well motivated and enthusiastic. Mustafa Prize winners are selected in the four fields of science and technology, including Information and Communication, Life and Medical Science, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, and Basic and Engineering Sciences.
Eng. Mehdi Saffarinia, CEO, Mustafa Science and Technology Foundation stated that the awarding ceremony of the 5th Mustafa Prize will be held on Monday, October 2nd, at Chehel Sotoon Palace, Isfahan, with the presence of 1,000 prominent scientific personalities of Iran and other countries. Fourteen scientists from different countries were honored as winners of the Mustafa Prize in the previous four rounds. Moreover, 130 guests from 30 countries of the world, science and technology policy makers, scientists, benefactors, and fifteen media activists from Turkey, Malaysia, Algeria, etc., executive directors of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Environment and Health, will participate in this Ceremony.
Finally, the head of the 9th Science & Technology Exchange Program (STEP), Ms. Shaghayegh Haghjooy explained that the subjects such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, membrane technology applications, nano-medicine and smart pharmaceuticals, and autoimmune diseases are among the topics of the scientific lecture of this round of meeting of STEP, according to the expertise of the winners of the 5th Mustafa Prize.
Ms. Haghjooy also explained the details of holding and implementing the STEP and the goals of this program in the form of explaining the discourse of science and technology and developing the communication network of scientists of the Islamic world by holding international events; laying the ground for creating synergy and development of cooperation and scientific and technological activities in Islamic countries.
