KARACHI, May 26: Chairman of Higher Education Commission, Dr Atta-ur-Rahman, who is also the Director of International Centre for Chemical Sciences (ICCS), University of Karachi, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), London.
Mentioning that Dr Atta had been chosen for the fellowship in recognition of his outstanding contributions in Natural Product Chemistry, a spokesman for ICCS said that Dr Atta would be required to sign the famous book of the Society in London on July 13.
The Royal Society book had also been signed by Darwin, Newton and others great personalities, the spokesman added.
It was further said that the noted Pakistani scientist was historically the first from the Islamic world having been elected on the basis of researches conducted within an Islamic country.
The Royal Society is the world's oldest scientific academy in continuous existence, and has been at the forefront of enquiry and discovery since its foundation in 1660.
Fellows of the Society who are elected after peer reviews for life are entitled to use FRS after their name, the spokesman said.
Dr Atta is also the President of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences and the Network of Academies of Sciences of Islamic Countries and Coordinator General of COMSTECH.
Fellows of the Royal Society include late Prof Abdus Salam (elected for contributions in UK), Late Prof Saleemuzzaman Siddiqui (for contributions in India) and Prof M Akhtar (for contributions in UK), said an ICSS communication.
