Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA), Riyadh chapter, honored a visiting scientist on Wednesday for his achievements in microbiology and nanotechnology.

Javed Musarrat was chair professor from 2008 to 2012 and DNA research chair at KSU, and credited with starting the nanotechnology research program at the university.

“We started with a small team at KSU, which has now grown into a research group on DNA.”

He later started operating a satellite laboratory for KSU at AMU because he had “greater responsibilities back home.”

“AMU research scholars are contributing in many ways to different universities in the Kingdom on various research projects including the one I started at KSU.”

He said AMU ranks highly in TIME magazine’s ratings on higher education, the UK’s National Assessment and Accreditation Council, and India Today’s ratings. This was a positive sign for the university, he said.

Mohammad Ahmad Badshah, AMUOBA president, commended Musarrat for his contributions to microbiology and nanotechnology research. He said the scientist was fulfilling the vision of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, AMU’s founder.

Naseem Ahmad, AMUOBA vice president, who listed the scientist’s contributions and achievements, moderated the program.

Musarrat served as dean from 2006 to 2008 in the faculty of agricultural sciences, and registrar in 2006 at AMU; visiting scientist between 1999 and 2000 at Michigan State University, US; and visiting scientist in 1988 at the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection (RIVM) in Bilthoven, the Netherlands.