Congratulations to Professor Zhu Shiyao! The Baptist University physicist has become the first Hong Kong scientist to win a prestigious national award ... from Iran.
Professor Zhu was one of just 11 foreigners to win prizes at the 17th Khwarizmi International Award, recently held in Tehran; he was recognised for his work in quantum optics.
Really, I think these sorts of awards promoting cross-national recognition and understanding are vital in these dark and dangerous times. When all you read about in newspapers these days are loony jihadists and suicide bombers, you might want to look up, for a change, Islamic geniuses like Khwarizimi, the 9th century mathematician and astronomer in whose honour the Tehran award is offered.
According to my Google search, Khwarizmi is credited as the first thinker to develop the concept of an algorithm, and so is sometimes called the godfather of computers. Apparently, 'algorithm' is derived from a corrupted English translation of his name.
The term 'algebra' originated from the title of one of Khwarizmi's books, the first systematic treatise on linear and quadratic equations since the Greeks. The mathematician also used the symbol of zero, from India, and was among the first to use Arabic numerals and decimals in mathematics.
A country that names its highest science award after such a towering intellect can't be as bad as US President George W. Bush might suggest in his Axis of Evil rant.