6th Mustafa Prize Winners Revealed; Week-long Events to Showcase Global Scientific Achievements

The Iran International Innovation District hosted the press conference announcing the winners of the 6th Mustafa Prize, honoring three distinguished scientists from Turkey, Iran, and India for their groundbreaking work in medical technologies, artificial intelligence, and clean energy. The award ceremony will be held on September 7, 2025, as part of a week-long program bringing together researchers, innovators, and students from around the world.

The Mustafa Prize, established in 2011 by Iran’s Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and launched in 2015, recognizes outstanding achievements by Muslim scientists in two categories: “Resident” in Islamic countries and “Non-resident” Muslim scientists in non-Islamic countries. Over its first five editions, the prize has been awarded to 19 scientists from nations including Turkey, Iran, Singapore, Bangladesh, India, Lebanon, and Jordan.

This year’s laureates are:

• Dr. Vahab Mirrokni (Iran) – An expert in computer science and information technology, recognized for his “Proximity-Sensitive Hashing using p-Stable Distributions” innovation. His work enables clustering of similar data for faster searches, paving the way for a new generation of search algorithms.
• Prof. Mehmet Toner (Turkey) – A global pioneer in biomedical engineering, honored for developing a microchip capable of detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in the blood, facilitating early cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
• Prof. Mohammad Khaja Nazeeruddin (India) – A leading researcher in perovskite solar cells, whose innovations have advanced affordable, sustainable solar technology and include patents for dyes N3 and N790, a two-step deposition method, and lead-leak prevention coatings.

The 6th Mustafa Prize Week, running from September 6–10, will begin with the inaugural Young Scientist Medal ceremony for researchers under 40, followed by academic sessions, technology transfer forums at Amirkabir University, storytelling events on science and technology, competitions, and visits to Iranian technology hubs. The program also includes cultural and historical tours for international guests, aiming to promote collaboration and cross-cultural exchange among scientists.