ONE of Britain’s most distinguished scientists who received a knighthood in the Queen’s birthday honours last Friday (13), has said more funding for science and research is vital for the country’s economy.
Professor Tejinder Singh Virdee, professor of physics at Imperial College London, was made a Knights Bachelor for his services to science.
Virdee, who won the GG2 Man of the Year at the GG2 Leadership Awards in November, played a crucial role in the discovery of a Higgs Boson particle. He led the team which took two decades to build a special camera which could take photographs when protons collided in- side the world’s most expensive and complex experimental facility, the Large Hadron Collider near Geneva.
“It’s a vocation rather than a job and it’s been immensely enjoyable to set up this experiment,” Virdee told Eastern Eye from Switzerland on Tuesday (17).
“I phoned my wife to tell her about the honour and she screamed with joy. I had to take the phone away from my ear a bit. Such news takes a while to sink in, really.
“I’m truly humbled and delighted to be given such an honour.”
The 61-year-old lives and works in Geneva and visits London regularly to give lectures. He believes Britain’s scientific clout is “excellent”, but added that more investment was needed to help it achieve its potential.
“There is this phrase ‘punching above your weight’ that rings really true to Britain. Clearly there are pressures of funding. It should be improved and if it is, that would be helpful.
“I think doing fundamental science is very important also for the economy. It’s doing such science that we sometimes get paradigm shifts in technology.
“The word ‘electronics’ contains electron in the spelling and it is mastery of the movement of electrons that has given us electronics. We can’t live without it, it’s everywhere. That’s what fundamental science gives us.
“Closer to home, the world wide web was invented which has changed communication, scholarship and commerce.” Virdee stressed that schools and universities could do more to interest children and young people in science.
“Projects like the Large Hadron Collider and the Apollo space project do capture the interest. When you do fundamental science, you do it because you want to know. Human curiosity is insatiable.
“If you’re asking some deep questions that every child asks and something we still keep asking, that’s the first hook. It’s also about giving children the confidence that they can do anything and setting their goals high.”
A second recipient of a knight hood is Professor Richard Rustom Kharsedji Sorabji, the nephew of India born Cornelia Sorabji, the first woman to practise law in Britain and India. Sorabji, an honorary fellow at Wolfson College Oxford and professor emeritus, King’s College London, was given the honour for services to philosophical scholarship.
Among others named in the list is Sunita Mason, a former family law solicitor from Lincoln who was awarded the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
Today, the 44 year old is a district judge in Peterborough. She was honoured for her work as the home secretary’s independent advisor on criminality information. She had three reports published for the government relating to public protection of children, vulnerable adults and CRB checks.
Mason said: “I’m absolutely delighted. It reminds me I’m best at doing something that I’m passionate about and what makes a difference in life.
“My dad didn’t want to me to do law. He said, ‘Asian people don’t ever get anywhere in law’. I said, ‘Dad, if we all had that attitude, nothing will ever change’.
“I went on my way without his blessings to do a law degree and when I finally became a judge, he said I had finally done okay now.”
Nikesh Mehta, a diplomat in the British High Commission in Malaysia, was honoured with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award for his services to British foreign policy, British interest in Malaysia and promoting diversity.
The 36 year old has previously worked in Iraq and Uganda and more recently, was involved in the UK response to the disappearance of flight MH370 in March. He helped coordinate the search operations in the southern Indian Ocean operations and also supported the UK Air Accident Investigation Branch to try and work out which direction the aircraft took.
“You always feel really proud of these sorts of honours because it does inspire you to work harder,” Mehta told EE from Malaysia.
“I’m coming towards the end of my time in Malaysia so I’m looking at the next steps of progression within the Foreign Office.
“I would like to try and get into our senior management structure in the not too distant future and would love to, at some point, run my own embassy or a high commission overseas – that’s the ultimate goal. There certainly aren’t many from my background who have become ambassadors and high commissioners.
“I hope this award will inspire others from ethnic minority backgrounds to consider a career in the diplomatic service, and to nominate for similar awards people they know who have made a difference to their communities or country.”
Mehta’s colleague in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Wasim Mir, who is the deputy head of mission in Brazil, was also made an OBE.
Nisha Tandon, chief executive of ArtsEkta, received an OBE for her services to ethnic minority communities in Northern Ireland.
Tandon, a resident of Belfast for 37 years, founded the organisation in 2006 following two decades of experience in the arts. She said there was a “critical gap” for ethnic arts engagement in the sector.
“I thought there was need from something like this to happen because of the influx of ethnic minority people and racism in Northern Ireland. You already have sectarianism here which still exists, so it’s very important for children not just from urban side but also from rural areas to know how ethnic minorities live and what their countries are all about.
“This honour makes me stronger to do more in that part of the world.”
Muhammed Ayyub, who set up Britain’s first Asian music label, Oriental Star Agencies in 1969, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to Asian music.
The 75 year old was responsible for introducing mu sic legends Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Malkit Singh and the Bhujhangy Group to the world.
He told EE : “I’m over the moon and overwhelmed by the response. I couldn’t believe it when I got the letter.
“I never do my work for any awards but it’s nice to be recognised. I’m looking forward to meeting the Queen.”
The list which was released last Friday (13) is published twice a year – in mid June on the date of the Queen’s official birthday and in the New Year. It rewards individuals who have made a difference in their community and those with ‘outstanding achievements’ in their workplace.
In total, 1,149 people have received an award with 6.2 per cent of the successful candidates come from ethnic minority communities, a slight increase on recent lists.
A total of 43 individuals in the list were from an Asian background. For more information, go to www.gov.uk/honours
