Announcing Professor Jim Al-Khalili as the new Patron of RASHID International

RASHID International is delighted to announce that the internationally respected and award-winning author and broadcaster Professor Jim Al-Khalili has kindly agreed to become our patron. An Iraqi-born British academic with a distinguished record, Professor Al-Khalili is based at the University of Surrey, where he teaches and conducts research in quantum physics.

On his appointment, Professor Al-Khalili said: “I am very pleased to say that I have been invited, and have accepted, to become Patron of a relatively new but dynamic organisation, RASHID International. The heritage of Iraq has suffered grievously in recent decades from a range of hostile actions, and those of us who take pride in the globally significant developments which took place in ancient Mesopotamia, modern Iraq, feel duty bound to offer our help and support where we can. I look forward to working with my new colleagues at RASHID International in helping to address the challenges that Iraq faces in the months and years ahead. I wish them strength and all success.”

In response, President of RASHID International Professor Roger Matthews, released the following statement: “We look forward very much to working with Jim to enhance the public profile of Iraq’s globally important heritage, and to furthering the aims and projects of RASHID International in researching, assessing and safeguarding the heritage of Iraq in danger. Jim’s personal and professional history makes him an ideal champion in our work regarding Iraqi cultural heritage.”

Professor Al-Khalili is a recipient of the Royal Society Michael Faraday medal, the Institute of Physics Kelvin Medal and the inaugural Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication. His book Pathfinders: The Golden Age of Arabic Science was shortlisted for the Warwick Prize in 2013.

You can find out more about our new patron on his website (www.jimal-khalili.com) or follow his work on Twitter (@jimalkhalili).