KFF - KFIP - Winners Announced for 2009

Riyadh, Monday 29 Muharram 1430H occurring 26 January 2009G, HRH Prince Khalid Alfaisal, Director of The King Faisal Foundation, tonight announced the winners of the King Faisal International Prize.

Chairman, Council of the School of Physical Sciences and Cavendish Professor of Physics, University of Cambridge

Chief Scientist, Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Science and Director,
Max-Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Germany

Professor Richard Friend pioneered the physics and engineering of semi-conductor devices made of plastic materials. The fabrication of these devices and circuits by ink jet printing that he has introduced is radically different from the traditional manufacturing technology and has paved the way for the development of a wide range of applications of plastic electronic and photonic devices.

Professor Rashid Sunyaev has made pioneering and fundamental contributions to astrophysics and cosmology. His theoretical work on the cosmic background radiation laid the foundation for the observational exploration of the structure of the universe. His work on black holes and binary stars was critical in advancing the field of x-ray astronomy

The Prize for Medicine (Topic: Molecular Targeted Therapy) has been awarded to:

Professor Levy has been recognized for his pioneering studies in Cancer Immunotherapy. Almost 30 years ago he developed antibodies that could distinguish between malignant and benign tumor cells. This created a tool for diagnosis and therapy. He showed in 1980 that monoclonal antibodies against a tumor-associated antigen could be employed to treat patients with B cell lymphoma. Many of these patients responded well to the treatment. Professor Levy generated a humanized monoclonal antibody against a specific protein expressed on B cell. In the last 11 years the drug he discovered has been used to treat a large number of lymphoma patients with remarkable remission and survival results.

In his more recent work professor Levy has used the patient’s immune system to mount immune responses against the patient’s own cancer cells. The ability of a patient to elicit immune responses against his/her own tumor cells by vaccinating the patient against the malignancy is likely to become a more effective way for longer lasting and more efficient therapy.

The Prize for Arabic Language and Literature (Topic: Verification of Poetry, Prose and Anthology
Through 300 – 700H.) has been awarded to:

Professor Emeritus of Arabic Literature at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Professor Al-Manie has been awarded the Prize in recognition of his distinguished efforts in editing verifying and elucidating several illustrious Arabic Literary works of the 3rd – 7th Century Hegira. His contributions have enriched the Arabic library and served a wild range of contemporary readership.

The Prize for Islamic Studies (Topic: Studies by Muslim Scholars on the Concept of "IMRAN" (Civilization Cycles) has been awarded to:

Professor at the University Research Institute, Mohammad V University, Rabat

In recognition of his seminal studies on the works of Ibn Khaldun, a leading authority in Islamic thought and perceptions of Imran. An erudite, diverse and authoritative scholar himself, Professor Cheddadi has skillfully elucidated the basis, concepts, terminology and types of Imran as conceived by Ibn Khaldun, comparing them to modern social theories and addressing a wider international audience through his writings in different languages. Cheddadi's contributions are evident in numerous publications on various aspects of the thought of Ibn Khaldun and particularly in his book: Ibn KhaldÛn: L'homme et le the'oricien de la civilization.

The Prize for Service to Islam has been awarded to:

In recognition of its outstanding services to Islam and Muslims which include:

Perseverant efforts, spanning almost 100 years, to assert the purity of the Islamic Daawa (Call), its total dedication to the cause of Islam, and its remoteness from any political ambitions.
Reliance on the Holy Quran and the Prophet's Sunnah in extending real Islamic teachings and revealing the evils of innovations and superstition.
Contribution to Islamic conferences and symposia calling for unity and progress of the Islamic world.

Countless other services both in Egypt and in other parts of the Islamic world. The Society's services in Egypt include: holding religious classes and symposia, extending true Islamic teachings and thought through its internet site, establishing more than fifty institutes for training Muslim preachers, sponsoring students, especially poor students from Egypt and other countries pursuing their education at Al-Azhar and rigorously contesting anti-Islamic propaganda. Furthermore, the Society has been carrying out a range of social services such as sponsoring orphans, Procuring income-generating work for widowed women, in addition to building more than 5000 mosques and numerous, well equipped medical centers that provide free medical services.The Society's achievements abroad are prinmarily focused on helping under-privileged Muslims, especially in Palestine and impoverished Muslim countries in Africa and Asia.