Dr Atta-ur-Rahman obtained his Ph.D. from Cambridge University (1968) and was later honoured as a Doctor of Science (Sc.D.). He has been widely published in several fields of organic chemistry, including 480 research publications, 15 patents, 93 books and 59 chapters in books published by major US and European presses.
He is the first scientist from the Muslim world to have won the prestigious UNESCO Science Prize (1999); the Government of Pakistan has conferred four civil awards, including Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (1983), Sitara-i-Imtiaz (1991), Hilal-i-Imtiaz (1998) and the highest national civil award Nishan-i-Imtiaz (2002); and he was elected as Fellow of Royal Society (London) in July 2006.
Dr Atta-ur-Rahman has secured numerous other national and international prizes and awards including the FPCCI Prize for Technological Innovation (1985), the Best Scientist of the Year Award from the Government of Pakistan (1986), the Islamic Organization Prize from the Government of Kuwait (1988), first prize at the 6th Khwrazmi Festival from the President of Iran (1993), the Prime Minister’s Gold Medal and Pakistan Academy of Sciences-INFAQ Foundation Prize in Science (1995), the Federation of Asian Chemical Societies Award (Hiroshima, Japan, 1997), the ECO Prize (2000) and the ISESCO Prize (2001).
Dr Atta-ur-Rahman was the Federal Minister for Science and Technology (2000-2002). He is now the Coordinator General of COMSTECH, an OIC Ministerial Committee, and is Federal Minister/Chairman of the Higher Education Commission and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Science and Technology. Dr Atta-ur-Rahman is also the President of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences and the Network of Academies of Sciences of Islamic Countries (NASIC).
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