The Head of State recently announced the establishment of the UNESCO-Uzbekistan International Award named after Abu Rayhon Beruni to support scientific dialogue and ethics in artificial intelligence. In celebration of the 1050th Anniversary of the great scientist and encyclopedist’s birth, an international exhibition was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. The exhibition presented copies of Beruni’s works, prepared by specialists from the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan using the Abu Rayhon Beruni Manuscript Fund of the National Library of France.
The Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan Bakhrom Abdukhalimov spoke about the significance of the event and the established award.
– We are delighted and proud that the international exhibition dedicated to the 1050th Anniversary of the great scientist and encyclopedist Abu Rayhon Beruni’s birth was organized jointly with the Art and Culture Development Foundation of Uzbekistan and UNESCO, – says Mr. Abdukhalimov. – The great thinker Beruni is one of the most outstanding scientists of the Middle Ages in exact, natural and human sciences. He was a talented mathematician, astronomer, geographer, pharmacologist, and doctor deeply interested in history. But above all, he was a devoted humanist, free from dogmatism.
Beruni was a prodigy, beginning to study science at a young age. He was the first to measure the specific gravity of solids and liquids, propose a classification of minerals, and develop a theory of their origin. Beruni also critiqued the theory of transforming base metals into precious ones in chemistry.
His works “Monuments of Past Generations”, “Al-Qanun Al-Masudi”, and “India” gave insight into the eras and chronological systems of the ancient Greeks, Persians, pre-Islamic Arabs, Indians, Muslims, Christians, Jews, and other peoples, as well as the rules for transferring dates from one period to another. This information demonstrates that Beruni was an expert in the history and theory of the calendar-chronological system of different nations.
The event was further commemorated with the publication of a special catalog containing copies of Beruni’s manuscripts stored in libraries worldwide. It is through such events, studying unique manuscripts, and sharing exciting stories about the great scientist that we express our respect.
Exploring knowledge can bring us together, connecting us across generations and borders.
Interviewed by Bekhruz Khudoyberdiyev, UzA