Abdus Salam

Curriculum Vitae

Date of birth: 29 January, 1926
Place of birth: Jhang, Pakistan

Educational Career
Government College, Jhang and Lahore (1938-1946) M.A. (Punjab University)
Foundation Scholar, St. John’s College, Cambridge (1946- 1949) B.A. Honours Double first in Mathematics (Wrangler) and Physics
Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge (1952) Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics
Awarded Smith’s Prize by the University of Cambridge for “the most outstanding pre-doctoral contribution to Physics” (1950)
D.Sc. Honoris Causa
Punjab University, Lahore (1957)
University of Edinburgh (1971)
Punjab University, Lahore (Pakistan) (1957)
University of Edinburgh (UK) (1971)
University of Trieste (Italy) (1979)
University of Islamabad (Pakistan) (1979)
Universidad Nacional de Ingenieria, Lima (Peru) (1980)
University of San Marcos, Lima (Peru) (1980)
National University of San Antonio Abad, Cuzco (Peru) (1980)
Universidad Simon Bolivar, Caracas (Venezuela) (1980)
University of Wroclow (Poland) (1980)
Yarmouk University (Jordan) (1980)
University of Istanbul (Turkey) (1980)
Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (India) (1981)
Muslim University, Aligarh (India) (1981)
Hindu University, Banaras (India) (1981)
University of Chittagong (Bangladesh) (1981)
University of Bristol (UK) (1981)
University of Maiduguri (Nigeria) (1981)
University of the Philippines, Quezon City (Philippines) (1982)
University of Khartoum (Sudan) (1983)
Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) (1983)
City College, City University of New York (USA) (1984)
University of Nairobi (Kenya) (1984)
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (Argentina) (1985)
Universidad Nacional de la Plata (Argentina) (1985)
University of Cambridge (UK) (1985)
University of Göteborg (Sweden) (1985)
Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia (Bulgaria) (1986)
University of Glasgow (UK) (1986)
University of Science and Technology, Hefei (China) (1986)
The City University, London (UK) (1986)
Panjab University, Chandigarh (India) (1987)
Medicina Alternativa, Colombo (Sri Lanka) (1987)
National University of Benin, Cotonou (Benin) (1987)
University of Exeter (UK) (1987)
University of Gent (Belgium) (1988)
“Creation” International Association of Scientists and Intelligentsia (USSR) (1989)
Bendel State University, Ekpoma (Nigeria) (1990)
University of Ghana (Ghana) (1990)
University of Warwick (UK) (1991)
University of Dakar (Senegal) (1991)
University of Tucuman (Argentina) (1991)
University of Lagos (Nigeria) (1992)
Awards
Hopkins Prize (Cambridge University) for “the most outstanding contribution to Physics during 1957-1958”
Adams Prize (Cambridge University) (1958)
First recipient of Maxwell Medal and Award (Physical Society, London) (1961)
Hughes Medal (Royal Society, London) (1964)
Atoms for Peace Medal and Award (Atoms for Peace Foundation) (1968)
J. Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Medal and Prize (University of Miami) (1971)
Guthrie Medal and Prize (1976)
Matteuci Medal (Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Rome) (1978)
John Torrence Tate Medal (American Institute of Physics) (1978)
Royal Medal (Royal Society, London) (1978)
Einstein Medal (UNESCO, Paris) (1979)
Shri R.D. Birla Award (India Physics Association) (1979)
Josef Stefan Medal (Josef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana) (1980)
Gold Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Physics (Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, Prague) (1981)
Lomonosov Gold Medal (USSR Academy of Sciences) (1983)
Copley Medal (Royal Society, London) (1990)
Appointments
Professor, Government College and Punjab University, Lahore (1951- 1954)
Elected Fellow St. John’s College, Cambridge (1951-1956)
Member, Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton (1951)
Lecturer, Cambridge University (1954-1956)
Professor of Theoretical Physics, London University, Imperial College, London, since 1957
Director, International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, since 1964
Elected (First) Fellow of the Royal Society, London, from Pakistan (1959)
Elected, Foreign Member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (1970)
Elected, Foreign Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (1971)
Elected, Foreign Member, USSR Academy of Sciences (1971)
Elected, Honorary Fellow St. John’s College, Cambridge (1971)
Elected, Foreign Associate, USA National Academy of Sciences (Washington) (1979)
Elected, Foreign Member, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (Rome) (1979)
Elected, Foreign Member, Accademia Tiberina (Rome) (1979)
Elected, Foreign Member, Iraqi Academy (Baghdad) (1979)
Elected, Honorary Fellow, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Bombay) (1979)
Elected, Honorary Member, Korean Physics Society (Seoul) (1979)
Elected, Foreign Member, Academy of the Kingdom of Morocco (Rabat) (1980)
Elected, Foreign Member, Accademia Nazionale delle Scienze dei XL (Rome) (1980)
Elected, Member, European Academy of Science, Arts and Humanities (Paris) (1980)
Elected, Associate Member, Josef Stefan Institute (Ljubljana) (1980)
Elected, Foreign Fellow, Indian National Science Academy (New Delhi) (1980)
Elected, Fellow, Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (Dhaka) (1980)
Elected, Member, Pontifical Academy of Sciences (Vatican City) (1981)
Elected, Corresponding Member, Portuguese Academy of Sciences (Lisbon) (1981)
Founding Member, Third World Academy of Sciences (1983)
Elected, Corresponding Member, Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts (Zagreb) (1983)
Elected, Honorary Fellow, Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (1984)
Elected, Honorary Member, Polish Academy of Sciences (1985)
Elected, Corresponding Member, Academia de Ciencias Medicas, Fisicas y Naturales de Guatemala (1986)
Elected, Fellow, Pakistan Academy of Medical Sciences (1987)
Elected, Honorary Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences (Bangalore) (1988)
Elected, Distinguished International Fellow of Sigma Xi (1988)
Elected, Honorary Member, Brazilian Mathematical Society (1989)
Elected, Honorary Member, National Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, Argentina (1989)
Elected, Honorary Member, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (1990)
Elected, Member, Academia Europaea (1990)
Orders and other Distinctions
Order of Andres Bello (Venezuela) (1980)
Order of Istiqlal (Jordan) (1980)
Cavaliere di Gran Croce dell’Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana (1980)
Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (1989)
Awards for contributions towards peace and promotion of international scientific collaboration
Atoms for Peace Medal and Award (Atoms for Peace Foundation) (1968)
Peace Medal (Charles University, Prague) (1981)
Premio Umberto Biancomano (Italy) (1986)
Dayemi International Peace Award (Bangladesh) (1986)
First Edinburgh Medal and Prize (Scotland) (1988)
“Genoa” International Development of Peoples Prize (Italy) (1988)
Catalunya International Prize (Spain) (1990)
United Nations Assignments
Scientific Secretary, Geneva Conferences on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy (1955 and 1958)
Member, United Nations Advisory Committee on Science and Technology (1964-1975)
Member, United Nations Panel and Foundation Committee for the United Nations University (1970-1973)
Chairman, United Nations Advisory Committee on Science and Technology (1971-1972)
Member, Scientific Council, SIPRI, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (1970)
Vice President, International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
(1972-1978)
Pakistan Assignments
Member, Atomic Energy Commission, Pakistan (1958-1974)
Adviser, Education Commission, Pakistan (1959)
Member, Scientific Commission, Pakistan (1959)
Chief Scientific Adviser, President of Pakistan (1961-1974)
President, Pakistan Association for Advancement of Science (1961-1962)
Chairman, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Committee (1961-1964)
Governor from Pakistan to the International Atomic Energy Agency(1962-1963)
Member, National Science Council, Pakistan (1963-1975)
Member, Board of Pakistan Science Foundation (1973-1977)
Pakistani Awards
Sitara-i-Pakistan (S.Pk.)
Pride of Performance Medal and Award (1959)

From Les Prix Nobel. The Nobel Prizes 1979, Editor Wilhelm Odelberg, [Nobel Foundation], Stockholm, 1980

This CV was written at the time of the award and later published in the book series Les Prix Nobel/Nobel Lectures. The information is sometimes updated with an addendum submitted by the Laureate. To cite this document, always state the source as shown above.

Abdus Salam died on November 21, 1996.

Copyright © The Nobel Foundation 1979

To cite this section
MLA style: Abdus Salam – Curriculum Vitae. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2024. Fri. 29 Mar 2024. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/1979/salam/cv/>

Back to top Back To Top Takes users back to the top of the page

Nobel Prizes and laureates

Eleven laureates were awarded a Nobel Prize in 2023, for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. Their work and discoveries range from effective mRNA vaccines and attosecond physics to fighting against the oppression of women.

See them all presented here.
Illustration

Explore prizes and laureates

Look for popular awards and laureates in different fields, and discover the history of the Nobel Prize.