Professor Ryoji Noyori
King Faisal Prize in Science 1999 Laureate
Topic: "Chemistry "
We believe that chemical synthesis is crucial for the future of mankind because this scientific realm provides a firm, logical basis for molecular sciences and technologies
Ryoji Noyori obtained his B.A. in Chemistry, as well as an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Industrial Chemistry from the College of Engineering at Kyoto University in Japan, followed by a postdoctoral training at Harvard University. Noyori’s academic career spans more than 40 years. He served as a Professor of Chemistry at Nagoya University from 1972, and as Dean of the Graduate School of Science from 1997. He also served as a Professor at Kyushu University between 1993-1996. He is also a Member of the Scientific Council of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology; Scientific Advisor of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; former President of the Society of Synthetic Organic Chemistry; and former Director of the ERATO Molecular Catalysis Project of the Research Development Corporation of Japan.
Professor Noyori received many awards and honors, including the Chemical Society of Japan Award, the Japan Academy Prize, the Roger Adams Award, and an honorary doctorate degree from Technische Universität München in Germany. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, an Honorary Member of the Chemical Society of Japan, and a Member of the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
This biography was written in the year the prize was awarded.
- He held several positions including:
- Director of the Research Center for Material Sciences at Nagoya University in 2000.
- Honorary Professor at Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry in China in 2001.
- President of RIKEN in 2003.
- Director-General of the Center for Research and Development Strategy (CRDS), and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) in 2015.
- He received many awards and honors including:
- The Japanese Order of Culture in 2000.
- Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2001.
- Honorary Fellowship of the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK).
- Honorary Membership of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
- Membership of the Japan Academy.
- Membership of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
- Foreign Membership of the Royal Society in the UK.