Malaysian university picked for IDB prize

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=122232

JEDDAH: The University Putra Malaysia (UPM) in Selengor, Malaysia was picked as the winner of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Prizes for Science & Technology for its most outstanding contribution to social and economic development of a member country, IDB President Ahmad Mohamed Ali announced yesterday. This is the seventh time the IDB has recognized scientific and technological contributions made by member states.

The Department of Physics at the Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara, Turkey, won the prize for most outstanding contribution in a given scientific field while the International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research (ICDDR) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, won in the category of noted scientific institution from an underdeveloped member country.

The UPM was picked for its outstanding contribution in terms of both graduate and undergraduate degrees awarded and the number of journal publications appearing in citation indices.

METU’s physics team was honored for research undertaken over the past six years that resulted in an impressive number of publications in the field.

The ICDDR topped the category as an international health research institution guided by specific values, such as excellence in research, high ethical standards and fostering partnerships, among others.

Every year, three institutions are selected for the prize by an independent panel of eminent scientists from the Muslim world. Each prize consists of a cash award of $100,000. The prizes will be awarded to the winners by the chairman of the IDB Board of Governors in the forthcoming 34th IDB annual meeting in Turkmenistan on June 2-3.