Moscow, Sep 28 (RIA Novosti) The Russian Academy of Sciences has given the title of honorary academician to Goverdhan Mehta, director of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He received the title, which is rarely awarded to non-Russians, for “his outstanding achievements in applied chemistry”.
The presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences gave Mehta a special diploma and a commemorative sign. The ceremony took place at the 18th Mendeleev Congress currently underway in Moscow. After the ceremony, the scientist gave a lecture on molecular synthesis.
“It is a great honour to become a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences,” he told RIA Novosti. “I will do my best to promote scientific cooperation between India and Russia.”
A symposium on organic chemistry is taking place during the congress, which is attended by eight Indian scientists in addition to Mehta.
The congress brings together 2,500 leading chemists, including Nobel Prize winners Zhores Alferov of Russia, Jean-Marie Lehn of France, and Richard R. Schrock of the US. This is the first in a series of events to be held in the run -up to celebrating the 175th birthday in 2009 of Dmitry Mendeleev, the author of the famous periodic table.