Yusuf Hamied, Polish-born Indian scientist and the chairman of Cipla, honored as ‘generous benefaction’ by the University of Cambridge on Tuesday, December 01, 2020. The Chemistry department of the university shall be named after him until 2050.
Dr. Yusuf Khwaja Hamied (born 25 July 1936) a Polish-born-Indian scientist – best known outside India for defying large Western Pharmaceutical Companies in order to provide generic AIDS’ Drugs and treatments for other ailments primarily affecting people in poor countries – is a former alumnus of Cambridge University who made a ‘Transformational Gift’ to his alma mater which ensured that the chemistry of the university will continue to be ‘The World – Leading in both Teaching And Research’.
Hamied, 84, who was a student at Christ’s College, has clutched on to close links with Cambridge over the past 66 years, the university acclaimed, adding that in 2018, he endowed one of the world’s oldest academic chairs in chemistry, now known as the Yusuf Hamied 1702 chair.
Dr. Yusuf Khwaja Hamied, his take:
The naming of the department follows a “generous benefaction” from Hamied, whose father, K. A. Hamied, started Cipla in Mumbai. He has pioneered the supply of HIV/AIDS medicines to developing countries at lost cost.
He jawed, “Cambridge gave me the foundation of education in chemistry, taught me how to live and showed me how to contribute to society. As a scholarship student myself, I am delighted to be able to support future generations of students. I will always be indebted to this great institution and everything it stands for.”
The university quoted that Hamied’s gift endows both a fund to attract and support the world’s brightest academic talent in chemistry, including exceptional early career researchers in disciplines such as synthetic organic chemistry and outstanding doctoral students from the UK and around the world through the new Hamied Scholars Programme.
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Words of Appreciation for Dr. Yusuf Khwaja Hamied
Vice-chancellor Stephen J. Toope said, “Yusuf Hamied has demonstrated an unequivocal commitment to changing and improving lives since his time at Cambridge. I am profoundly grateful for his remarkable gift to the department of chemistry, which will benefit generations of students and researchers.”
Accolades by Dr. Yusuf Khwaja Hamied
- Hamied’s honors include an honorary fellowship of Christ’s College in 2004;
- The Padma Bhushan in 2005;
- An honorary fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry in 2012;
- And an honorary Doctorate of Science from the University of Cambridge in 2014.
In 2019, he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society and a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy.
Head of the chemistry department James Keeler said, “We are extremely thankful to Dr Hamied for his visionary support for Chemistry at Cambridge, which will allow us to respond flexibly to future opportunities. His gift will ensure we continue to attract outstanding scientists who will make the discoveries that help tackle some of the most pressing challenges in a Global Society.”
As an honor to him, The Chemistry department of the university shall be named after him until 2050.
