Professor Dr Atta-ur-Rahman was born on 22nd September 1942 in Delhi, British India into an academic family. His grandfather, Sir Abdur Rahman, was a Vice-Chancellor of the University of Delhi (1930–1934) who briefly served as a Judge at the Madras High Court. In 1946, Sir Abdur Rahman was appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the Punjab University in Lahore, eventually relocating his family there, a year before the Partition of India took place. Sir Abdur Rahman eventually ascended as a Senior Justice at the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1949. His father, Jamil-ur-Rahman, was a lawyer who established a textile industry in Karachi, Sindh. Atta-ur-Rahman was a bright student at school. After settling in Karachi in 1952, he excelled in passing the competitive O-Level in 1958 and A-Level in 1960 from the Karachi Grammar School and joined Karachi University. In 1963, he received a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Chemistry, followed by an M.Sc. in Organic Chemistry from Karachi University in 1964. He received a Commonwealth Scholarship in 1965 to study for a PhD in Organic Chemistry under the supervision of Dr. J. Harley Mason and received a Ph.D. at Kings College, Cambridge in 1968.
DR. ATTA-UR-RAHMAN
Born on 22 Sep 1942
Pakistani Scientist & Scholar
He was subsequently awarded a Doctorate of Science by the University of Cambridge in 1987, a Doctorate of Education by Coventry University in 2007, a Doctorate of Science by Bradford University in 2010 and a Doctor of Philosophy by the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand in 2010.
In March 1969, King’s College elected him a Fellow. Later, he was promoted to the position of Dean in the same institution. Deans are people of special rank who are elected as Fellows by King’s College.
In relation to Asia, only two people have got this position at Cambridge University so far and both of them are from Pakistan. The first Asian and Pakistani to receive this honour in Cambridge was Dr. Abdus Salam while the second was Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman. He is the first Asian and Pakistani to receive this honour from King’s College. Dr Atta-ur-Rahman wanted to establish an international-level institute of chemistry in Pakistan, but the facilities required for international research were not available in Pakistan, so he applied to Cambridge University and came to Pakistan on deputation in 1970. They also brought with them many instruments. Here he built a laboratory in view of the requirements. During this period Cambridge University not only retained his employment but also paid him a salary. After setting up the equipment in the laboratory, he again moved to England and became associated with the Post Graduate Institute of Chemistry. The current name of this institution is Hussain Ibrahim Jamal Institute of Chemistry. Here he started research work on chemistry along with Dr. Salim-ul-Zaman Siddiqi who was around 70 years old at that time. In 1977, due to his ability and hard work, he made him his co-director and entrusted him with the responsibility of improving this institution and obtaining grants at the international level. He never let them down and played a fundamental and key role in the development and growth of this institution, making it the highest research institution in the chemistry of natural products in the African world. In 1996, the President of Pakistan appointed Dr Atta-ur-Rahman as the Coordinator General of COMSTECH, when he was around 70 years old at that time.
He has 1122 publications in several fields of organic chemistry including 74 international patents, 69 chapters in books, 792 research publications, and 186 books published largely by major USA and European presses. He is the Editor-in-Chief of eight European Chemistry journals. He is the Editor of the world’s leading encyclopedic series of volumes on natural products “Studies in Natural Product Chemistry” 68 volumes of which have been published under his Editorship during the last two decades. Eighty-three students have completed their Ph.D. degrees under his supervision.
He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society (London) on 14th July 2006. He won the prestigious UNESCO Science Prize in 1999. The Austrian Government has also honoured him with its highest Civil Award “Grosse Goldene Ehrenzeischen am Bande” in recognition of his eminent contributions in 2007.
He also has been conferred Honorary Doctorate degrees by many universities including a degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) by Cambridge University (UK) in 1987, an Honorary degree of Doctor of Education by Coventry University UK in 2007, an Honorary D.Sc. degree by Bradford University in 2010, Honorary Ph.D. by Asian Institute of Technology in 2010 and Honorary Doctorate degree from King of Malaysia (University of Technology, Mara) in 2011.
In recognition of his global outstanding services to the development of Science and Technology the largest University in Malaysia, the University of Technology (Mara), Malaysia, has established an institution entitled, “Atta-ur-Rahman Institute on Natural Product Discovery” in 2013. The National University of Science and Technology (NUST) has also established an Institute “Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences (ASAB)” at their university in Islamabad in 2011.
He was appointed Academician (Foreign Member) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2015. He won the International Scientific Corporation Award from the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) for building scientific collaborations between China and Pakistan in 2014. He was honoured by President Xi Jinping of China when he was conferred the highest scientific award of China, the International Science & Technology Cooperation Award, at a special function in the Great Peoples Hall, Beijing in 2020. He was awarded the prestigious “Einstein Professorship” by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in 2013. He won the highest “Friendship Award of China” on 28th September 2014. He is also a Member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology (Foreign Member).
He was elected Honorary Life Fellow of Kings College, Cambridge University, UK in 2007. He was conferred the TWAS (Italy) Prize for Institution Building in October 2009 in recognition of his contributions to bringing about revolutionary changes in the higher education sector in Pakistan.
He is the President of the Network of Academies of Science in Countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (NASIC). He has been elected as the President of the Pakistan Academy of Sciences twice from 2003-2006 and 2011-2014. He is President of the Network of Academies of Sciences of Islamic Countries (NASIC), a Foreign Fellow of the Korean Academy of Sciences, and a Foreign Fellow of the Chinese Chemical Society.
He remained the Federal Minister for Science and Technology from 14th March 2000 until 20th November 2002, Federal Minister of Education in 2002 and Chairman of the Higher Education Commission with the status of a Federal Minister from 2002-2008.
He is the most decorated scientist in Pakistan having won four Civil Awards from the Government of Pakistan, including Tamgha-i-Imtiaz in 1983, Sitara-i-Imtiaz in 1991, Hilal-i-Imtiaz in 1998, and the highest national civil award Nishan-i-Imtiaz in 2002.
He also remained the Coordinator General of COMSTECH, an OIC Ministerial Committee comprising 57 Ministers of Science & Technology from 57 OIC member countries from 1996 to 2012. He is a Distinguished National Professor as well as a Professor Emeritus at Karachi University. He has developed the finest research Centers in the region, the H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, the International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences, University of Karachi which is now internationally recognized as the UNESCO Center of Excellence.
