The United Kingdom’s Imperial College London has decided to name its central library after Abdus Salam in recognition of the Nobel Prize winning physicist, said the public research university.

“I hope the new Abdus Salam Library inspires many more people in the years to come,” said Professor Hugh Brady, the Imperial College London president.

Professor Salam joined Imperial in 1957. He set up the Theoretical Physics Department with the late Professor Paul T Matthews. He later shared the 1979 Nobel Prize for his contribution to the electroweak unification theory.

He was also a promoter of science education in the developing world, founding the International Centre for Theoretical Physics in 1964 where scientists from developing countries would be able to come on a regular basis to interact with leaders in the field.

A formal launch and naming ceremony for the Abdus Salam Library will take place in the next academic year.

In his message to the staff and students, Brady said that throughout his career, the Nobel Prize winning Professor of Theoretical Physics Abdus Salam made a “tremendous contribution” to Imperial, as well as to the world of physics and science more generally. “It is right that we do more to celebrate this legacy.”

The decision was taken by the Imperial’s University Management Board as part of its ongoing response to the History Group’s report. Published last year, the report focused on Imperial’s associations with historical figures and undercelebrated people from Imperial’s past.

“Recognising the contribution of academics like Professor Salam is a key part of Imperial’s response to this report,” it said and added that further work was under way to respond to its findings, including other initiatives to recognise undercelebrated individuals like Professor Salam, both physically around our campuses, through portraiture or through scholarships.