Syed Babar Ali, a renowned Pakistani businessman, philanthropist, and educationist, has been inducted into the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences. After Nobel Prize-winning physicist Dr. Abdus Salam, Syed Babar Ali is the second Pakistani to receive this rare honor in the United States.
To clarify, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, and other Founding Fathers of the United States. The Academy is dedicated to honoring excellence and leadership, working across disciplines and divides, and advancing the common good.
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As a result of Syed Babar Ali’s contributions, he has been inducted into the American Academy of Art and Sciences.
“Our old Ravian, philanthropist, and educationist Syed Babar Ali has been inducted as a member of the American Academy of Art and Sciences for his services to higher education in Pakistan. He becomes only the second Pakistani to earn this honor, after Dr. Abdus Salam, another Ravia,” Asghar Zaidi, renowned educationist Asghar Zaidi tweeted.
Our old Ravian, philanthropist & educationist Syed Babar Ali has been inducted as a member of the American Academy of Art & Sciences for his services to higher education in Pakistan. He becomes only the 2nd Pakistani to earn this honour, after Dr Abdus Salam, another old Ravian. pic.twitter.com/gdntSTuYeT
— Asghar Zaidi (@zaidia) September 12, 2022
Babar Ali’s contributions
Syed Babar Ali created and grew Packages Ltd, Milkpak Ltd, Tri-pack Films, and the IGI Group. He brought several foreign companies to Pakistan, including Nestle (Switzerland), Tetrapak (Sweden) and serves on the board of Coca-Cola Pakistan, Siemens Pakistan, and Sanofi-Aventis.
He also promoted the cause of the World Wide Fund (WWF) for Nature where he served in various positions, both in Pakistan and internationally, from 1972 to 1996. He was the international president of WWF from 1996 to 1999, succeeding Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
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Babar Ali joins 250 Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, including the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela who have become part of the Academy’s over 200 years of history.