Atta-ur-Rahman

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Atta-ur-Rahman (Urdu: عطاالرحمان; b. 22 September 1942), NI, FRS, FPAS is a Pakistani organic chemist and is currently serving as Professor Emeritus at the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University of Karachi and as Chairman of PM Task Force on Science and Technology. He is also the President of the Network of Academies of Sciences in Cointries of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (NASIC). After obtaining his PhD in organic Chemistry from the University of Cambridge in 1968, Atta-ur-Rahman was elected as a Fellow of Kings College, Cambridge in 1969 and carried on research there till 1973. During that period, he is credited with correcting the earlier work of the Nobel Laureate Sir Robert Robinson on the chemistry of harmaline. After returning to Pakistan, he contributed to the development of the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University of Karachi. The Atta-ur-Rahman Institute for Natural Product Discovery (AuRIns) in Malaysia and the Academician Professor Atta-ur-Rahman One Belt and One Road TCM Research Center were named after Rahman, as well as the Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences at the National University of Sciences & Technology (Islamabad, Pakistan) and the Atta-ur-Rahman Laboratories, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences at the University of Karachi (Karachi, Pakistan). He carried out important studies on the synthesis of anti-cancer alkaloids present in the plant Catharanthus roseus and analytical studies on organic compounds involving circular dichroism. Atta-ur-Rahman served as the Federal Minister of Science and Technology (2000-2002) and as the Founding Chairman of the Higher Education Commission with the status of a Federal Minister (2002-2008) and he is generally recognized as bringing a huge positive change in the development of science and technology as well as higher education in Pakistan. Atta-ur-Rahman has been selected as one of the 500 most influential personalities of the Islamic World. Institutions have been named after Rahman in China and Malaysia. He is the only scientist of the Islamic world to be an Academician (Foreign Member) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fellow of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology and winner of the UNESCO Science Prize. He was also elected as Fellow of the presigeous Royal Society (London) (FRS), and he is Honorary Life Fellow of Kings College, University of Cambridge. He was elected as Vice President of TWAS (The World Academy of Sciences, Italy) and President of Network Academies of Science of Countries of Organisation of Islamic Conference comprising 20 Academies of Science of the Islamic World The US Publisher ARKAT USA has published a special issue of the journal Arkivoc, Vol 2007, in honour of Atta-ur-Rahman FRS which had contributions from top scientists in the field of natural product chemistry. Similarly the international journal Molecules published by the Swiss publisher MDPI published a special issue of the journal in honour of Atta-ur-Rahman. The World Academy of Science,TWAS (Italy) has introduced a special Prize in his honour (TWAS-Atta-ur-Rahman Award in Chemistry) for young scientists which is awarded once every two years Atta-ur-Rahman is the most decorated scientist of Pakistan having won four civil awards from successive governments, including the highest national civil award, Nishan-i-Imtiaz. He is generally considered as the architect of Pakistan in the field of information technology, and was conferred The World Academy of Science (TWAS) Prize for Institution building in recognition of his monumental contributions to science and information technology. His book entitled "Stereoselctive Synthesis in Organic Chemistry" (Springer-Verlag) was termed a monumental contribution in the field by the Nobel Laureate Sir Derek Barton in the Foreword of the book written by him. His book entitled "NMR Spectroscopy-Basic Principles" was published by Springer-Verlag and translated into Japanese for use in university courses in Japan The Nobel Laureate Herbert C. Brown applauded the contributions of Rahman in science and technology. (Source: DBPedia)