A professor born into a Palestinian refugee family who on Thursday collected a Great Arab Minds award from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, told The National that “any refugee can change the world” in a rallying cry for more young people to pursue science.<\/p>\n
Professor Omar Yaghi described how his family had to live without water or electricity, and survived without a lot of money, yet always focused on education because it has the “power to transform lives”. Having won in the natural sciences category, he said he was “captivated by the beauty of molecules” from the age of 10.<\/p>\n
“My advice to ambitious young people is that science doesn\u2019t care about your background, financial status, or social circumstances,” he told The National. “It values only the effort you put into acquiring knowledge and experimenting. Perseverance and long-term vision are essential because scientific research is not a fleeting event but a lifelong journey. Science teaches objectivity, the power of experimentation, and the strength of following your passion to develop yourself. A discovery made by a refugee in any corner of the world can change the entire world \u2013 this is the essence of science’s power.”<\/p>\n
Prof. Yaghi was one of six of the region\u2019s leading intellectuals who were honoured for their contributions to the fields of engineering, the arts, natural sciences, medicine, architecture and economics, in a ceremony at Dubai\u2019s Museum of the Future.<\/p>\n