Islam Khalaf, an Egyptian researcher and graduate of the German University in Cairo (GUC), has won the Otto Hahn Prize for Chemistry and Physics for outstanding research on electrical conductivity in topological wires. He was handed the prize in Heidelberg, Germany, in a ceremony graced by German Minister of Education and Scientific Research Anja Karliczek
Dr Khalaf, who earned his PhD in January 2017, said that he used the laws of quantum mechanics to understand features of topological materials. He said his research would develop electronics in the future, since topological wires would enhance the processing capabilities of computers.
Dr Khalaf graduated from GUC’s Faculty of Engineering in 2010. He obtained his Masters and PhD degrees from the prestigious Max Planck Society in Germany.
The Otto Hahn Medal is awarded by the Max Planck Society to young scientists and researchers in both the natural and social sciences. The prestigious award takes its name from the German chemist and Nobel Prize laureate Otto Hahn, who served as the first president of the Max Planck Society from 1948 to 1960.
The Max Planck Society is a research organisation that conducts basic research in the natural sciences, life sciences, and humanities. Since its foundation in 1948, 18 Nobel laureates have emerged from its ranks.
The GUC dedicated the win of its alumnus to Egypt and President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, citing the support it has constantly received from Egyptian authorities since its establishment in 2002.
The university expressed its pride in its many alumni who went on to win international recognition, posting an impressive list of them.
The GUC/Deutsche Universität in Kairo was established in 2002 in cooperation with the State Universities of Ulm and Stuttgart, under the patronage of the Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Science, Research and Arts, State of Baden- Württemberg, Germany, and supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Embassy in Cairo, the Arab/German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK), the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany, The State University of Tübingen and The State University of Mannheim.
Watani International
24 June 2018