10 July 2009

Former Indian President awarded Academy International Medal

Dr Abdul Kalam, former President of India, was awarded the Academy's International Medal by Lord Browne at the Academy Awards dinner held at the Imperial War Museum on 9 June. Dr Kalam gave a short address highlighting the role played by engineers in improving quality of life around the world.

From his role in the birth of the Indian space industry to his term of office as President of India (2002-2007), Dr Abdul Kalam's career has been distinguished by two outstanding qualities - a belief that science and technology is the key to a developed India, and an extraordinary ability to inspire and motivate others with this vision. Dr Kalam has achieved renown both as an engineering pioneer - whose achievements include the launch of India's first satellite and the management of India's successful missile programme - and as a public advocate of science and engineering, whose lectures and bestselling books promote the potential of technology to bring development and prosperity to all of India's people.

His achievements, skills and growing public profile led to successive appointments as Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, Secretary to the Government of India, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, and finally President of India.

The International Medal is awarded occasionally to an individual resident outside the European Union, for his or her outstanding and sustained personal achievement in the broad field of engineering, including commercial or academic leadership.

ends

For more information please contact:

Shafiq Ahmed at The Royal Academy of Engineering
email: shafiq...@...org.uk

 RSS Feed