Prishtina, 10 September 2015 – American Nobel laureate in medicine of Albanian origin Dr. Ferid Murad is the latest world famous personality who has supported the bid of the Republic of Kosovo for membership in the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO).
Below, we bring you the full article by Dr. Ferid Murad written for the French diplomatic magazine “La Lettre Diplomatique”.
The virtue of being right and fair
By Dr. Ferid Murad, Nobel Prize Laureate
My father migrated to United States, a Muslim Albanian who fell in love with a Presbyterian American and set up a family together with her. My parents expected me to become a practitioner physician and had high hopes for me because even, back that time, few people went to college after high school graduation. I may have disappointed them by choosing the path of scientific research. It was not the easier road, nor the most profitable. But somehow I felt that that was the right path for me. I wanted to make a change. I was hoping that with some luck, my research could influence the lives of people.
That’s how it all started, with a hunch – the feeling you have when you know you’re right, but you need to prove it. It takes strong motivation and absolute determination. Then, serendipity happens. You’re on the verge of a tremendous discovery. But in the time between these two moments, a lifetime has gone. I have spent decades conducting basic research on nitric oxide, even when colleagues and friends said I was crazy to invest much time and effort in it. And I won a Nobel Prize! More usage of nitric oxide has to come, in the fight against cancer, Alzeimer’s disease, heart disease and many other conditions. It is rewarding to know that your work is having positive impact on millions of people.
I love research – that’s obvious. I love equally to work with bright young people and students. I always tell them the truth about the scientific discovery – it is a colossal endeavor! The research projects are big, long-term, and they involve people as well as lots of funding. They require close cooperation within the country and often, strong collaboration outside the country, with Universities and Research Centres. Because of that complexity, research has morphed from a personal quest to a massive international activity.
Scientific research has two sides: one is competition, an extremely fertile ground that motivates us to stretch to the outmost. We compete among each other in a collegial environment as I and my best friend from kindergarten years, Ronald Delismon, have done. However, nowadays we compete more internationally than ever. Discovery doesn’t care about nationality. The legacy of Einstein or Jobs knows no boundaries; it is embraced and applied worldwide.
The other side is collaboration: when nature finds itself in need of new ideas, it strives to connect, not compete or protect. The same happens between us people. There is a delicate balance between competition and collaboration. But first of all, we have to set the right frame – the one of freedom, access, and opportunities.
I am a researcher of Albanian background. I’ve been to Kosovo and seen the amazing progress and the potential of youth and students there. I see the same eagerness to succeed as I had in my young years. I was lucky enough to be born in the land of opportunities. It hurts me when I see frustration in their eyes; they live in the most isolated country in the Balkans and Europe due to a visa restriction regime. They can’t travel freely for studies, leisure or work. Their access to different programs and grants is limited.
I am enthusiastic to learn that Kosovo authorities are applying this autumn for membership to UNESCO in order to provide citizens with more opportunities. I send them my full support. They have chosen the right direction, that of integration and cooperation. Accessing diverse scientific programs helps. Scientific research is a safe bet: even simple ideas could have far-reaching consequences.
It is noble to change the life of someone, to recognize his or her effort. But first of all, we have the obligation to be fair. By offering full membership to Kosovo, member countries will do what is right and what is fair.