Image of Dr Hamied courtesy Department of Chemistry
The Department of Chemistry will present its first ever Alumni Medal to Dr Yusuf Hamied in a ceremony on Thursday 17 March at 2:30 pm in the Wolfson Lecture Theatre.
Services to the community
The Alumni Medal is given for "services to the community that have brought honour to the University of Cambridge Department of Chemistry." It will be awarded every two years to an alumnus or alumna of the Department, whose actions have made a significant and positive impact on the world stage.
As CEO and Chair of the socially conscious Indian pharmaceutical company Cipla, Dr Hamied worked and campaigned with a remarkable group of dedicated men and women on four continents to provide low-cost generic antiretrovirals (ARVs) to people with HIV and Aids in developing countries. In the early 2000s, Cipla reduced the cost of ARVs from £15,000 per year to £350 per year, or under a dollar a day, by selling generic versions without profit. These actions, which saved hundreds of thousands of lives in Africa and other developing parts of the world, were memorialised in Fire in the Blood, an internationally acclaimed documentary released in 2013.
Since his time in Cambridge Dr Hamied has led a remarkable life with many achievements and awards, including an honorary degree from the University of Cambridge in 2014. As the first recipient of this medal, there is no one who better exemplifies its aims, and whose work and actions have had such a profound and positive affect on so many lives.
Ceremony
The ceremony will be held on Thursday 17 March 2016 in the Wolfson Lecture Theatre. Head of Department Professor John Pyle will introduce the speakers, who include Professor Christopher Abell, Professor Christopher Dobson and Professor Clare Grey. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, will present the medal, and Dr Hamied will be asked to say a few words in response.
The medal
The Alumni Medal is 60 mm round and forged in sterling silver. The design on the front replicates in polished silver the iconic stone sculpture located on the west side of the Department of Chemistry building, embossed against a background of brushed silver.
Embossed in semi-circular form on the reverse are the words “For services to the community that have brought honour to the University of Cambridge Department of Chemistry.” The name of the recipient is engraved centrally, and the medal is cushioned in a handmade presentation case.
The medal was produced by Thomas Fattorini Ltd, an historic Birmingham manufacturer of insignia, honours & awards, by Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen.
History of the sculpture
The bas relief is located on the southwest corner of the Department of Chemistry building on Lensfield Road. The arms of the University of Chemistry are depicted at the bottom, surmounted by alchemy symbols, from left to right: Talc, Iron, White Lead, Verdigris and Precipitation. These symbols represent the progression of the modern science of Chemistry from its alchemical origins. The sculpture was designed by Mary Spencer Watson (1913-2006), and is featured in the Cambridge Sculpture Trails, which research and promote the rich diversity of works of art in the city.