HRH Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Executive President of King Faisal Foundation has announced the winners of the King Faisal International Prize.
Prize for Science (Mathematics)
Professor Gerd Faltings (Germany)
Director at the Max-Planck Institute for Mathematics in Bonn
Professor Faltings has made groundbreaking contributions to algebraic geometry and number theory. His work combines ingenuity, vision and technical power. He has introduced stunning new tools and techniques which are now constantly used in modern mathematics.
His deep insights into the p-adic cohomology of algebraic varieties have been crucial to modern developments in number theory. His work on moduli spaces of abelian varieties has had great influence on arithmetic algebraic geometry. He has introduced new geometric ideas and techniques in the theory of Diophantine approximation, leading to his proof of Lang’s conjecture on rational points of abelian varieties and to a far-reaching generalisation of the subspace theorem. Professor Faltings has also made important contributions to the theory of vector bundles on algebraic curves with his proof of the Verlinde formula.
Prize for Medicine (Non-Invasive Diagnosis of Fetal Diseases)
Professor Yuk Ming Dennis Lo
(China/UK)
Director, Li Ka Shing Institute for Health Sciences and Li Ka Shing Professor of Medicine, Chairman and Chief of Service, Department of Chemical Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Prince of Wales Hospital.
Professor Yuk Ming Dennis Lo has transformed the field of prenatal genetic diagnosis through his discovery of cell free fetal nucleic acids in the maternal blood and the identification of their placental source. He built upon this pivotal discovery to develop and translate techniques for risk free determination of fetal aneuploidy and monogenic disease, and ultimately the sequencing of the full fetal genome from cell free DNA. Because of his pioneering role in the field of non-invasive diagnosis of fetal disease he has been awarded the King Faisal International Prize in Medicine for the year 2014.
Prize for Arabic Language and Literature (Studies on Modern Arabic Novel)
Dr Abdullah Ibrahim (Iraq)
Cultural Advisor, Emir’s Court, Qatar
In appreciation of his distinguished contributions to the study of the modern Arabic novel. Dr Ibrahim has employed different literary analytical methods in his book. His thorough knowledge of the Arabic narrative and world literary arts has enabled him to refine this complex specialty and analyze it in a persuasive manner, and to elucidate the discourse between the Arabic narrative and main stream narrative in world literature.
Prize for Islamic Studies (Topic: Cultural Heritage of Makkah Al-Mukarrama)
HE Professor Abdul Wahab Bin Ibrahim Abou Sulaiman
Member of the Council of Senior Islamic Scholars in Saudi Arabia
Professor AbdulWahab Bin Ibrahim Abou Sulaiman was awarded for his illustrious academic studies which monitor and document cultural exchanges between people in the Holy Haram and its surroundings, particularly his text: Bab Al-Salamwhich portrays the issue during important historical periods. His studies are distinguished by objectivity, profundity and richness of resources.
Prize for Service to Islam
Shaikh Dr Ahmed Lemu (Nigeria)
Chairman, Council of Trustees, Islamic Relief Commission Office
Shaikh Dr Ahmed Limu is a composed intellectual, a devout Muslim, and an advocate of moderation and open-mindedness. He is a member of several international Islamic organizations worldwide. His efforts towards education, development and call to Islam are evident from his hundreds of lectures, seminars and classes.
He has authored several Islamic books and school references which fulfilled a significant part of the needs of the Nigerian community and served as important resources for many Nigerian Muslim generations, helping them to understand Islam and expand their knowledge of the
Islamic creed.
He established a number of societies, schools and endowments such as the Islamic Endowments Society, which became one the most important institutions collaborating with the Islamic Bank for Development in the field of study scholarships in Nigeria.
He played a significant role in defending Muslim women’s tights. His efforts culminated in the establishment of the Union of Muslim Women’s societies in Nigeria, promotion of peaceful co-existence and fight against sectarian violence in that country.
He also established the Islamic Da’awa (Call) Institute to combat extremism. He was awarded several national and international accolades and prizes for his services of Islam.–KFIP.org