******King Faisel foundation and its Awards********* King Faisal, the man and his Mission King Faisal bin Abd Al Aziz was born in Saudi Arabia in 1906. Due to his unique abilities he started playing a significant role in public affairs at a very early age. In 1919 at the age of thirteen, he made state visits to the European capitals and attended the “Peace Conference” in Versailles, held soon after the World War-I. This conference was organized to discuss the Ottoman domain in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa). In 1925 Prince Faisal commanded the army. He was appointed as the first Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1932. He led the Saudi delegation to the 1939 “London Conference on Palestine”. He signed the UN Charter in 1945. In 1958 he became the Prime Minister and started directly conducting the Saudi Government Affairs. He ruled Saudi Arabia as the third king starting in 1964. Apart from an interest in diplomacy, he had a keen interest in scholarly pursuits: poetry and literature. He had a determination to improve the economic and social standards in Saudi Arabia and to this end advocated the development of human resources for prosperity. He further asserted that education is the very starting point for development and expanded the general and higher education. He was responsible for: the Kingdom’s first girls’ school; scholarships for studying abroad; literacy drive for senior citizens. Along with education he made efforts for establishing ‘universal’ health care. He instituted agricultural projects and the search for water sources. He also established a corporation for exploring petroleum and mineral deposits in the Kingdom. In the year 2002 the place of King Faisal palace was used to house the first private university of the Kingdom, the, “Dar Al-Faisal University”. Much earlier in 1975, the King Faisal University (KFU), was founded and functions from the two campuses in Dammam and Hofuf respectively. King Faisal’s vision had an influence far beyond the Kingdom’s borders. He made unique contributions in the arena of international politics. In 1973 he initiated the Oil Embargo, by the OAPEC (Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries). This was to curb the sale of oil to all those countries, which were supporting Israel. The USA was most affected by the oil embargo and the U.S. government went to desperate measures to improve the situation that America found itself in. King Faisal was assassinated on 25 March 1975. His death brought an end to an era. Had this era lasted longer, the Middle East would have had a very different political landscape today. King Faisal was assassinated on the eve of the “Islamic Solidarity Conference in Science and Technology”, held at the University of Riyadh, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. King Faisal had called this conference to develop a commonwealth of Islamic States. The conference was indeed held, but there was no follow up. One of the papers by an Indian delegate was on the renaissance of science in Islamic countries urging the creation of a database of Muslim scientists. King Faisal had called for the establishment of “World Muslim League”. His vision of Islamic Solidarity is yet to be put in action. With such solidarity, the Muslim countries and their citizens can lead a life full of dignity in the comity of nations. King Faisal Foundation In the year 1976, the sons of late King Faisal established a large-scale philanthropic organization based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and named it after their father as King Faisal Foundation. The KFF is involved in numerous philanthropic educational activities in and outside the Kingdom. One of the most widely known activities of the KFF is the King Faisal International Prize (KFIP). Merit alone governs the rigorous selection procedures, earning the King Faisal International Prize the distinction of being among the most prestigious of international awards to scholars and scientists, who have made the most significant advances to benefit humanity and enrich human knowledge. There are currently prizes in each of the five broad categories. Prizes for Arabic Literature; Islamic Studies; and Services to Islam; were first given in 1979. Science and Medicine were introduced in 1982 and 1983 respectively. Each year the selection committee designates subjects or subcategories to each of the above five. The science subcategories cover a broad scope: physics; mathematics; chemistry; and biology. For the year 2005 the science prize was given in physics. Nominations for the prizes are accepted only from international institutions and organizations. The prizes can be shared. This year’s awards bring the total number of laureates to 161 distinguished individuals from 37 countries. Each of the five Prizes consists of a certificate, hand-written in Diwani calligraphy, summarizing the laureate’s work; a commemorative 24 carat, 200 gram gold medal, uniquely cast for each Prize; and a cash endowment of Saudi Riyal 750,000 (about US$200,000). This amount is very similar to what used to be the amount for the Nobel Prizes a decade back. The current figure for the Nobel Prize money is about 1.3million US$. Co-winners in any category share the monetary grant. The Prizes are awarded during a ceremony in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, under the auspices of the King of Saudi Arabia. This year’s awards bring the total number of laureates to 161 distinguished individuals from 37 countries. Within two decades the KFIP was ranked among the most prestigious of awards. Several of the KFIP Laureates in Science and Medicine have gone on to receive the Nobel Prize. For example, Egyptian-born (1946) Ahmed Zewail received the KFIP for Chemistry in 1989 followed by the Nobel Prize in 1999, both unshared! Winners of King Faisal International Prize for 2013 kff/en01/kfip/1434H2013G/KFIPWinners5SCI1434H2013G.html
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 16:04:32 +0000
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