Professor Abdus Salam one of the greatest exponents in physics of this century was born in a modest family of Jhang, in 1926. His father, Chaudhary Mohammad Husain served in Education department, Jhung. Salam received his early education in his native city doing Matric in 1940 and FSc in 1942. In 1944, he did BSc from Government College Lahore. He did MSc in 1945 and also attained MA Degree in Mathematics in 1946, Thus, Salam, has the credit of being double MA (Physics & Mathematics) at the age of only 20 years which is a record in the University of the Punjab, Lahore.
He proceeded to England in 1946 for further studies where he was educated at St. John’s College, Cambridge and Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge where he stayed for a period of three years (1946-1949). After becoming a Wrangler in double course of Physics and Mathematics returned to Pakistan in 1951 and served in the Government College, Lahore and University of the Punjab between 1952-54 as a teacher and Head of the Department of Mathematics. The year 1951, provided him with an opportunity for higher studies in Cambridge University, where he completed his Doctorate in Theoretical Physics in 1952 - once again a record to have attained a doctoral degree in a period of only one year. The world of science was stunned on the discovery of “Renormalisation Theory” put forward by Abdus Salam. He was thus conferred with a "Smith Prize" by the Cambridge University even before the award of his doctoral degree. Thereafter, he returned to Pakistan and joined Government College, Lahore, but in 1954 moved once again to England and got associated with the Cambridge University as a lecturer. In 1957, Imperial College London, offered him professorship with which he remained associated throughout.
In 1959, he was nominated Advisor to the Education Commission of Pakistan and in 1961, elevated to the post of Chief Advisor Science to the President of Pakistan - a portfolio that he held up to 1974.
Dr. Salam contributed in development of PAEC, Karachi Nuclear Plant and several organisations of Applied Physics. During 1961-64, he made rich contribution in the development of SUPARCO as its President. Dr. Salam has published a number of research articles in international research journals which were highly appreciated in concerned circles all over the world.
Dr. Salam’s greatest research achievement is ‘Theory of Unification of Forces’ or ‘Grand Unification Theory’ which is also known as "GUT". It was on this great achievement in the field of science, that Dr. Salam was conferred with ‘Nobel Prize’ in 1979 together with the ‘Americans Steven Weinberg’ and - ‘Sheldon Glashow’. He thus, is the only Pakistani scientist who is a Nobel Laureate in Physics. Salam’s ‘electroweak theory’ is still the core of the ‘standard model’ of high energy physics. After having contributed a number of research papers, establishing numerous organisations, training hundreds of scientists and after having been bestowed upon with far numbering awards and medals, this great scientist breathed his last after a prolonged illness in November 1994.
The name of Dr. Abdus Salam will be linked forever to the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy.
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