Atta ur Rahman (scientist)

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For other people with similar names, see Ata-ur-Rahman.
Atta-Ur-Rahman
270px
Atta-ur-Rahman at Karachi University
Born (1942-09-22) 22 September 1942 (age 81)
New Delhi, British Indian Empire
(Present-day India)
Citizenship Pakistani
Nationality Pakistani
Fields Organic Chemistry
Institutions Karachi University
Hussain Ebrahim Jamal Research Institute of Chemistry
University of Tübingen
University of Cambridge
Alma mater Karachi University
University of Cambridge
Thesis Synthetic studies in the Indole Alkaloids field (1968)
Doctoral advisor John Harley-Mason
Other academic advisors Ian Fleming
Alan Fersht
Known for Natural Product Chemistry
Influenced Salimuzzaman Siddiqui
Notable awards Nishan-e-Imtiaz (2002)
Hilal-e-Imtiaz (1998)
Sitara-e-Imtiaz (1991)
Tamgha-e-Imtiaz (1983)
UNESCO Prize (1999)
Austria Order of Merit (2007)
Website
PAS Fellow

Atta-ur-Rahman (Urdu: عطاالرحمان; born 22 September 1942), PhD, FRS, FPAS, is a Pakistani organic chemist and a leading scientist in the field of natural product chemistry, with approximately 983 important publications in the field of Organic chemistry, including his works referenced in 155 books largely published by publishers in Europe and the United States.[1]

Briefly tenuring as a science adviser, he is also credited for reviving higher education and research practices in Pakistan.[2]

Education

Atta-ur-Rahman was born on 22 September 1942 in Delhi, British India (now India) into an Urdu-speaking academic family.[3] His grandfather, Sir Abdur Rahman, was a vice-chancellor of the University of Delhi (1934–38) who briefly served as a judge at the Madras High Court.[4]

In 1946, Abdur Rehman was appointed as vice-chancellor of the Punjab University in Lahore, eventually relocating his family there, a year before the Partition of India took place.[4] Abdur Rehman eventually ascended as a Senior Justice at the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1949.[4] His father, Jamil-ur-Rahman, was a lawyer who established a textile industry in Karachi, Sindh.[4] Atta-ur-Rehman was a bright student at school.[4] After settling in Karachi in 1952, he excelled in passing the competitive O-Level and A-Level from the Karachi Grammar School and joined Karachi University.[4]

Attending Karachi University in 1960, Rahman graduated with a bachelor's degree (with honors) in Chemistry in 1964, with degree concentration in natural products.[4][5] He obtained a Master of Science (MSc) in organic chemistry in 1965, and earned a Commonwealth Scholarship for doctoral studies in the United Kingdom.[4] He joined King's College of the Cambridge University and resumed research in natural products under J. Harlon-Mason.[5] In 1968, Rahman received his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Organic chemistry; his doctoral thesis contained fundamental work on natural products and organic materials.[4] In 1987, Cambridge University also conferred him with the Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) for his contribution for the advancement of the chemical sciences.[5] In 2007, the Coventry University bestowed him with the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in recognition of his services to help improve science education in Pakistan.[5]

In addition, Rahman has been conferred with the honoris causa by various institutions including the Bradford University (in 2010); the Asian Institute of Technology (in 2010); and the Universiti Teknologi MARA (in 2011).[6]

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Academic career

In 1964, Rahman joined the Karachi University as a lecturer in undergraduate chemistry.[6] He remained associated with the Cambridge University between 1969–73, and is presently honorary fellow at the King's College of the Cambridge University .[6] In 1977, he became the deputy director of the Hussain Ebrahim Jamal Research Institute of Chemistry at University of Karachi; eventually he was ascended as the Director in 1990.[6] In 1979, Rahman did the post-doctoral research at the University of Tübingen. Upon returning to Pakistan, he joined Karachi University where he lectures and taught chemistry.[6]

In 2008, Rahman was appointed as Patron-in-Chief of the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS). In 2011, Rahman was made emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of Karachi.[6] With more than 1020 international publications, including 188 books and 37 international patents, he has the distinction of being the only scientist to be elected Fellow of Royal Society (London) in 2006 in recognition of research contributions carried out within a country in the Islamic world. He is also the only scientist from the Muslim world to have been awarded the UNESCO Science Prize (1999). He was awarded an Honorary Life Fellowship by King's College, University of Cambridge in 2007, an honorary Doctorate of Science by CambridgeUniversity 1987, a Doctorate of Education by Coventry University in 2007,[8] a Doctorate of Science by Bradford University in 2010, a Doctor of Philosophy by Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand in 2010 and honorary Doctor of Scıence by University of Technology MARA. Malaysıa.[9] A number of other universities have also granted honorary doctorate degrees to Atta-ur-Rahman including University of Karachi, Sir Syed University and Gomal University. He was given the International Cooperation Award, the highest award of the Chinese Academy of Sciences for Institution Building, on 10 January 2014.[10] Rahman was also conferred the highest national award of China, the Friendship Award, at a ceremony held on 29 September 2014 in Beijing, in recognition for his developing a large number of collaborative programs with China.[11]

HAARP Research

In 2010, Atta ur-Rahman published his views that the United States government had financed a science research project, the HAARP program, in Alaska to developed Weapon of mass destruction (WMDs) that could affect the weather.[12][13][14] Since 2003, Rahman has been in conflict with Pervez Hoodbhoy, a nuclear physicist, who has bitterly criticised Rahman on the tremendous achievements of Pakistan in higher education during his tenure as official science adviser.[12]

This sparked off a debate when Pervez Hoodbhoy lamented the decline of academic standards in Pakistan.[14][15] The views of Hoodbhoy have been strongly refuted by neutral international authorities, Fred Hayward (US consultant to USAID),[16] Wolfgang Voelter (Tübingen University)[17] and Michael Rode (Innsbruck University, Chairman of UN Commission on Science, Technology & Development)[18] who have praised the remarkable transformation of the higher education sector in Pakistan under the leadership of Atta-ur-Rahman.[19] A number of major international prizes and awards have also been won by Atta-ur-Rahman in recognition of these contributions[19] Atta-ur-Rahman has subsequently clarified that he did not state that HAARP could cause earthquakes but he did refer to the European Union resolution that condemned the US funded research on HAARP which could potentially alter weather patterns and on which 12 US patents had been obtained[13]

Positions held

Government work and political advocacy

After securing the fellowship of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Rahman had been affiliated with the Pakistan government regarding education and science affairs.[6] From 1996 till 2012, Rahman served in the board of directors of the Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation, representing Pakistan's delegation.[6] In 1997, Rahman served as the Coordinator General of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) that comprised 57 Ministers of Science and Technology from 57 OIC member countries.[20]

In 1999, he joined the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoSci) as its minister, assisting in drafting the official science policy of the country. In 2002, he was appointed as minister of the Ministry of Education (MoEd) as well as becoming the chairman of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) until resigning in 2008.[21] Rahman served as the president of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences for two non-consecutive terms; first from 2003 until 2006, and from 2010 until 2015 for a second term.[6] In 2012, Rahman used this position on providing guidance on science and technology affairs to the Pakistan government on multiple occasions. Rahman bitterly criticized the alleged hydrogen powered vehicle invented by Agha Waqar Ahmad.[22] In a nationwide televised debate with Abdul Qadeer Khan, Samar Mubarakmand, and Pervez Hoodbhoy, he notable argued against it and proved that such invention was in a violation of the second law of thermodynamics as well as law of conservation energy.[23]

Rahman is also the former vice-president of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), which he secured in 2010.[6] The Austrian government also honoured him with its highest civil award ("Das Große Goldene Ehrenzeichen am Bande", 2007) in recognition of his eminent contributions.[24]

In recognition of the contributions of Rahman, a number of institutions have been named after him within and outside Pakistan. These include a natural product chemistry institute (Atta-ur-Rahman Research Institute of Natural Product Discovery, RiND) at the University of Technology Mara in Malaysia,[25] Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences at National University of Science & Technology in Islamabad,[26] and Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman Building at the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi[27] The Academy of Sciences in the Developing World (TWAS) based in Trieste, Italy has introduced a Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman Prize in Chemistry to a scientist from the developing world each year. The Prize carries a cash award of $5,000 and a Certificate.[28] Rahman has established a research center for Genomics research at the University of Karachi named after his father Jamil-ur-Rahman from a personal donation. The Center has been named as the "Jamil-ur-Rahman Center for Genomics Research" and has the state of the art facilities for gene sequencing, the only such facility in Pakistan[29]

Prizes, honours and awards

Rahman is the most decorated scientist of Pakistan having won four civil awards from successive governments including the highest national Civil Award of Nishan-i-Imtiaz. Rahman was elected as Fellow of Royal Society (London) in July 2006 thereby becoming one of the 4 scientists from the Muslim world to have ever won this honor in the last 350 years when the Royal Society was established, and the only scıentıst to be so recognısed for researches carrıed out wıthın a Islamıc country. He is also the only scientist from the Muslim world to have been conferred the UNESCO Science Prize in 1999.[30] He has been conferred honorary doctorate degrees by many universities including the degree of Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) by the Cambridge University (UK) (1987) and an Honorary degree of Doctor of Education by Coventry University UK in November 2007. He was elected Honorary Life Fellow of King's College, Cambridge University, UK in 2007. Rahman was conferred the TWAS Prize for Institution Building in Durban, South Africa in October 2009 in recognition of his contributions bringing about revolutionary changes in the higher education sector in Pakistan. He was awarded the Engro Excellence Award in Science & Technology 2011 with a prize of Rs. 5 million (US $59,000) for meritorious contributions. He proceeded to use the money, in addition to funds from his private finances, to establish a research center on Genomics in Karachi University named after his father Jamil-ur-Rahman, and to start a TWAS Prize in Chemistry for deserving young researchers from developing countries that has been instituted by TWAS, The World Academy of Sciences, Trieste, Italy.[28]

He is President of Network of Academies of Sciences of Islamic Countries (NASIC) and the former Vice-President (Central & South Asia) of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) Council, and Foreign Fellow of Korean Academy of Sciences. Rahman was the President of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (2003–06), and was again elected President of Pakistan Academy of Sciences in January 2011.

National awards

In recognition of his eminent contributions in the field of Organic Chemistry, he has been conferred with four civil awards, including:

International awards

Fellowships

Research activities

  • Editor-in-Chief/Executive Editor of following international journals:
    • Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry (Netherlands)
    • Current Medicinal Chemistry (Netherlands)
    • Current Pharmaceutical Design (Netherlands)(Founding Editor)
    • Current Organic Chemistry (Netherlands)
    • Combinatorial Chemistry and High Throughput Screening (Netherlands)
    • Current Organic Synthesis (Netherlands)
    • Current Nanoscience
    • Letters in Organic Chemistry (Netherlands)
    • The Natural Products Journal
    • Medicinal Chemistry
    • Nanoscience and Nanotechnology-Asia
    • Current Organic Chemistry
    • Natural Product Research (Founding Editor, UK)
    • Current Pharmaceutical Analysis
    • Current Analytical Chemistry

Notes

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Editorial in Nature, 427, 379 (29 January 2004)
  3. ↑ Atta ur Rahman at muslim-science.com
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Biography at the British Council website. Retrieved 26 May 2008
  9. ↑ http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-4-73967-Malaysian-King-confers-degree-on-Atta-ur-Rahman
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ wagdy.sawahel@sciencedev.net
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 http://dawn.com/2010/11/20/haarp-a-us-weapon-of-mass-destruction/
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Hayward, Fred M. (Winter 2009). Higher Education Transformation in Pakistan: Political & Economic Instability, International Higher Education Quarterly (54)
  17. ↑ http://archives.dawn.com/weekly/education/archive/081123/education1.htm
  18. ↑ http://archives.dawn.com/archives/http/dildilpakistan.wordpress.com/tag/dr-atta-ur-rehman/
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Higher Education Commission of Pakistan
  20. ↑ http://www.iccs.edu/pcmd/executive_board.php
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ http://dawn.com/2011/03/06/malaysia-to-establish-a-science-center-on-the-name-of-dr-atta-ur-rehman/
  26. ↑ http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2012/02/07/city/islamabad/nust-honours-prof-atta-ur-rahman/
  27. ↑ http://www.comsats.org/Latest/15thCC_Turkey_Presentations/15thCC_ICCBS-Pakistan.pdf
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 http://twas.ictp.it/news-in-home-page/programmatical/announcing-the-atta-ur-rahman-prize-in-chemistry
  29. ↑ http://www.iccs.edu/department.php?dept_id=43&id=122&parent_id=122
  30. ↑ UNESCO Science Prize
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ http://www.cas.cn/tz/201512/t20151207_4488383.shtml 关于公布2015年中国科学院院士增选当选院士名单的公告

See also

External links

Government offices
Preceded by Science Advisor to the Prime Minister
31 January 2004 – 28 March 2008		 Succeeded by
Ishfaq Ahmad
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