Pakistani scientist to receive 'Friendship Award' from China

• China to confer 'Friendship Award' on Pakistani scientist
• Prof Dr M Iqbal Choudhary will be given a medal and roughly more than $15,000 in prize money
• Award ceremony is in China in March next year

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani scientist Prof Dr M Iqbal Choudhary will be getting a 'Friendship Award' from China for his outstanding contribution to the economic and social development of Guangxi, an autonomous region in southern China, bordering Vietnam.

The decision was made by the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang to honour Dr Choudhary with the 2020 Guangxi Golden Silkball Friendship Award on the recommendation of Guangxi Normal University.

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The Chinese government's 'Friendship Award' is the People's Republic of China's highest award for "foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country's economic and social progress".

It comprises a medal and RMB100,000 bonus, which is roughly more than $15,000.

The award ceremony will be in held in China in March, 2021.

Who is Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary?

Dr Choudhary is a world renowned medicinal chemist. He has published 1,175 research papers in the fields of organic and bio-organic chemistry in international journals, 76 books and 40 chapters in books published by major US and European press.

He has secured 40 US patents so far. 

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Dr Choudhary's work has been cited by researchers from around the world 27,407 times and his h-index is 70. 

By now, 94 national and international scholars have completed their PhD degrees under his supervision. He has been awarded by different governments of Pakistan with the Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, and Tamgha-e-Imtiaz. 

The Pakistani scientist has been elected fellow by world renowned science academies Academy of Sciences for the Developing World, Islamic World Academy of Sciences, Pakistan Academy of Sciences, Royal Society of Chemistry and Chemical Society of Pakistan. 

Dr Choudhary has also been honoured by the President of Iran with the Khwarizmi International Award, President of Azerbaijan with the ECO Award in Education and the Prime Minister of Pakistan with the Comstech Award in Chemistry.