By Chaimae Boulifa
Rabat – Moroccan energy and nuclear physicist Rajaa Cherkaoui El Moursli has been honored for her contribution and noteworthy achievements in science and technology fields in the Islamic world, during the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) First Islamic Summit on Science and Technology, held in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Sept. 10 and 11.
Distinguished by her scientific achievements in the field of nuclear physics, El Moursli was paid tribute by the OIC alongside four other selected scientists: Yusuf Yagci (Turkey), Mohamed-Slim Alouini (Tunisia), and Assan Jaye (Gambia).
“Convinced of the importance of acknowledging and commending Muslim scientists and researchers for their outstanding contributions to their areas of specialization, today, the OIC will be honoring a group of them with OIC S&T Achievement Award,” the OIC Secretary General, Yousef A. Al-Othaimeen, said in a ceremony held on the sidelines of the summit, according to OIC website.
“These prominent scientists have charted with their knowledge and excellence for the advancement and progress of their societies and countries,” he added.
El Moursli, a professor at Rabat’s Mohammed V University, was the first Moroccan woman to win the prestigious L’Oréal-UNESCO award recognizing the top women in science around the world, on March 20. This award was given for El Moursli’s discovery proving the existence of the Higgs Boson, the particle responsible for the creation of mass in the universe.
The Astana gathering, which aimed to shed light on scientific and technological issues, innovation, and scientific research, was attended by many heads of state, parliamentarians, government officials, researchers, and experts from Islamic countries, who shared their knowledge and experiences at the event.
The summit, designed to encourage scientists in Islamic countries, is the first of its kind, dedicated to have government officials discuss science and technology and decide the agenda of innovation and scientific research for the next decade.
