Pardee Center Director Awarded Honors By President and Prime Minister of Pakistan

Prof. Adil Najam, the Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future and Professor of International Relations and Geography and Environemnt at Boston University was awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz (the Star of Excellence Medal)- one of the highest civil awards of his native country, Pakistan – by the President of Pakistan at a national ceremony held in Islamabad on March 23, 2010, the National Day of Pakistan. Later the same week, on March 26, at a different ceremony (also in Islamabad) the Prime Minister of Pakistan awarded Prof. Najam the Nazriya-i-Pakistan Gold Medal (the Ideology of Pakistan Gold Medal). Both medals were awarded to Prof. Najam, a native of Pakistan, for his contributions to public service in the fields of education and environment.

The Sitara-i-Imtiaz is one of the highest civil awards of Pakistan and Prof. Najam’s award was announced on Pakistan’s Independence Day on August 14, 2009 (here). It is awarded each year by the President of Pakistan for Pakistanis who have achieved the highest level of excellence in their respective fields. Others who were awarded this medal this year by the President of Pakistan included: Prof. Ayesha Jalal,Prof. Hasan Askari, F.E.Chaudhry, Jamil Naqsh, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi, Prof. Rasul Bakhsh Rais and Hanif Ramay.

The Nazriya-i-Pakistan Gold Medal was instituted five years ago by the Nazriya-i-Pakistan Council and is awarded to Pakistanis who have excelled internationally and brought good name to their country. Other winners of this award have included Justice Javed Iqbal (2010), Naseem Hameed (2010), S.M. Zafar (2009), Syed Mustafa Kamal (2009), Shoaib Mansoor (2009), Bilqees Edhi (2008), Uxi Mufti (2008), Dr. Atta-ur-Rahman (2006), Prof. Javed Ahmed Ghamdi (2006) and Abrar-ul-Haq (2006).