On the recommendation of Guangxi Normal University, the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, province of China has decided to honour Prof Dr M Iqbal Choudhary the 2020 Guangxi Golden Silkball Friendship Award for his outstanding contribution to the economic and social development of Guangxi.

The award comprises a Medal and RMB100,000 bonus and the prize-awarding ceremony will be held in China in March 2021.

Prof Dr Muhammad Iqbal Choudhary is a world-renowned medicinal chemist. He has published 1,175 research papers in the fields of organic and bioorganic 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.

Dr Iqbal’s work has been cited by the researchers from around the world by 27,407 times and his h-index is 70. By now 94 national and international scholars have completed their PhD degrees under his supervision.

Dr Iqbal is D.Sc., PhD, and C. Chem. He has been awarded by different governments of Pakistan with Hilal-e-Imtiaz, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, and Tamgha-e-Imtiaz.

He has been elected a fellow by world-renowned science academies named 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.

Prof Iqbal has been honoured by the President of Iran with Khwarizmi International Award, President of Azerbaijan, with ECO Award in Education and the Prime Minister of Pakistan with COMSTECH Award in Chemistry.

He has been given the prestigious title of “Distinguished National Professor” by the Higher Education Commission in 2004 and Meritorious Professor by the University of Karachi in 2013.

Vice-Chancellor University of Karachi Prof. Dr Khalid Mehmood Iraqi, and Prof. Atta-ur Rahman, ICCBS Patron-in-chief and Chairman of Prime Minister’s Task Force on Science and Technology congratulated Prof. Choudhary for his achievement.

Prof Dr Iqbal is currently serving as Coordinator-General, OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH) and Director, International Center for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS), University of Karachi.