Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — The general secretariat of the King Faisal International Prize has set in motion an elaborate process of reviewing nominations for the 40th session of prestigious award 2018 in all five categories: Service to Islam, Islamic Studies, Arabic Language & Literature, Medicine, and Science. The secretariat received nominations till Monday.
Every year, the secretariat invites Islamic organizations, scientific institutions, universities, research centers from all around the world to nominate qualified candidates for each of the five categories. After receiving all the nominations, the secretariat forms expert committees in each category of the award to go through the nominations and ensure compliance with the prize’s general conditions and precise standards. Qualified nominees are then shortlisted.
The shortlisted nominations are sent to select leading international referees who are competent in each category of the award for evaluation, submission of comprehensive reports on each candidate and recommendations.
Then the secretariat forms autonomous selection committees for each prize category, comprising renowned scientists in their own field. The committees decide to award or withhold the prize based on the highest standards of transparency.
King Faisal International Prize has for the last four decades been awarded to 253 laureates, many of whom have later become recipients of other prestigious global awards, highlighting the accurate international standards adopted by the award in its selection process.
The award has been bestowed on 56 scientists from the fields of physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics since 1984 as well as 66 researchers from the field of medicine since 1982. Besides, winners of the distinguished prize have emerged from 44 nationalities, pointing to its extensive global reach to academic and scientific circles and unbiased approach in recognizing outstanding contributions for the progress of humanity.
