UAE honours Professor Majed Chergui with 'Great Arab Minds' award

Professor Majed Chergui has been honoured with the UAE's "Great Arab Minds" award in Natural Sciences for his pioneering contributions to capturing ultrafast motion at the atomic scale.

The Emeritus Professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL) has been honoured for developing tools and experimental methods that enable scientists to observe the movement of molecules and materials with unprecedented precision.

Making the announcement on this official social media channels, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, praised Professor Chergui for his dedicated, scientific career and emphasised the importance of Arab scientific research and achievements in advancing societies.

In a post on X, Sheikh Mohammed said Professor Chergui has "played a key role in advancing ultrafast X-ray techniques, published more than 450 scientific papers, and has received over 23,000 citations worldwide".

"His work has established him as one of the most influential figures in ultrafast spectroscopy, materials science and energy," he added. 

Professor Chergui has also pioneered modern research tools, including two dimensional ultraviolet spectroscopy and ultra-fast circular dichroism, enhancing scientists’ ability to study complex biological systems and advanced solid materials. 

He currently focuses on the use of nonlinear X rays to study solar materials, leveraging their ability to observe charge motion and propagation in solids in real time.

The Great Arab Minds Award, launched by Sheikh Mohammed, aims to celebrate the achievements of outstanding Arab individuals across six categories, including medicine, economics, natural sciences, engineering and technology, architecture and design, and literature and arts.