Makerere University’s Prof. Noble Banadda has emerged the first African recipient of the Pius XI Golden Medal Award received during the meeting of pontifical academy of science held in Vatican.
The exuberant Prof. Banadda was last night awarded with Golden Medal Award for Scientific Excellence and publication in the education sector.
“This afternoon I met the Holy See, Pope Francis at the Vatican and he personally awarded me the Pius XI Golden Medal Award for Scientific Excellence and publication. It is a great honor to me as the first African recipient of the golden award,” he said after receiving the accolade in Vatican.
In his remarks to the Pontifical Academy, His Holiness Pope Francis urged the recipients to accord greater attention to the values and fundamental goods that are at the basis of the relationship between people, society and science.
“You, dear scientists and friends of science, have been entrusted with the keys of knowledge. I would like to stand before you as the advocate of the peoples that receive only rarely and from afar the benefits of vast human knowledge and its achievements, especially in the areas of nutrition, health, education, connectivity, well-being and peace,”
He prayed that their research be beneficial to all, for peoples of the earth will be fed, given to drink, healed and educated. I bless all of you your work and your initiatives, I thank you wholeheartedly for all that you do, I company you with my prayers but don’t forget to pray for yourselves, ” read part of the His Holiness’ remarks.