Nobel laureate and eminent chemist Prof Jean Marie Lehn has written to Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, expressing deep concern over his government’s move to separate the International Centre for Chemical and Biological Sciences (ICCBS) from the University of Karachi.
In his letter, Prof Lehn, who holds the Chair of Chemistry of Complex Systems at the University of Strasbourg Institute of Advanced Study (USIAS), said he and several other Nobel laureates had visited the ICCBS and were “highly impressed” by the standards of scientific excellence the centre has achieved under the supervision of Prof Atta-ur-Rahman. He added that remarks from visiting scientists, including Nobel laureates, underscored the international standing the institute has built over the years.
Prof Lehn noted with concern that a proposal is under consideration to convert the ICCBS into an independent entity, under which the appointment of its executive director would be made by a three-member search committee comprising two donors and the chief minister of Sindh. He urged the provincial government not to alter the existing status of the ICCBS, stating that the centre had flourished as an integral part of the University of Karachi.
He further emphasized that Prof Atta-ur-Rahman, who currently serves as the patron-in-chief of the institute, has played a pivotal role in its growth, and that his continued oversight remains essential for the centre’s sustained development. Prof Lehn concluded his letter by thanking the chief minister and extending warm regards.
