China’s Hunan University of Medicine has named it’s newly inaugurated research centre after Pakistani Professor Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary.

This centre will house 17 full-time researchers dedicated to advancing scientific collaboration between Pakistan and China, a press statement read.

Founded in 1912, the institution is a national public medical university in China, offering around 20 undergraduate and graduate medical programmes with more than 4,500 faculty members and 14,425 full-time students.

Dr Choudhary has, in the past, advocated for fostering cooperation between Chinese and Pakistani scientists, particularly for establishing research centres between the two countries.

He has also recieved numerous awards, including civil awards as Hilal-i-Imtiaz, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, and Tamgha-i-Imtiaz. In 2021, he was awarded the Mustafa Prize for his services in the field of bio-organic chemistry.

Currently, he serves as vice president of the World Academy of Sciences for Central and South Asia. Additionally, he is also a research fellow of scientific organisations such the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (TWAS) and the Royal Society of Chemistry in London.

The establishment of this facility represents a significant step in strengthening collaboration between China and Pakistan in scientific research, according to the statement.