LUMS faculty member becomes first Pakistani to win ‘Nobel Prize of super-computing’

Gordon Bell Prize is annual award for groundbreaking achievements in high-performance computing and innovative parallel computing contributions
An undated image of Dr Zubair Khalid, faculty member of  Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). — LUMS
An undated image of Dr Zubair Khalid, faculty member of  Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). — LUMS

In a remarkable feat, the development of an innovative modelling tool for climate has earned Dr Zubair Khalid, an associate professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), a prestigious “Nobel Prize for super-computing”. 

The award, also known as the Gordon Bell Prize, is an annual award for groundbreaking achievements in high-performance computing (HPC) and innovative parallel computing contributions towards solving the climate crisis. 

Backed by a team of researchers, it’s worth noting that Dr Khalid is the first Pakistani to receive this award. 

Presented by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the award was given for the team’s project “Boosting Earth System Model Outputs and Saving PetaBytes in Their Storage Using Exascale Climate Emulators.”

It is an “incredibly humbling honour” to be the first Pakistani to receive this prestigious award, Dr Khalid stated in an interview.

“For me, this recognition is not merely personal, it is a profound honour to represent Pakistan on the global stage and contribute to addressing one of the most pressing global challenges of our time,” he noted.

What is Exascale Climate Emulator?

The ExaScale Climate Emulator surpasses traditional climate models, as it enables timely flood predictions, enhanced forecasts of hurricanes and tropical storms, and precise heatwave predictions. 

“Our emulator acts like a highly intelligent, compact version of these models. The tool also reduces the energy footprint of climate modelling,” he added.

The tool also offers climate data at an exceptionally fine scale, facilitating localised disaster readiness in small towns and communities.

Moreover, the tool can be used to help farmers optimise sowing schedules and irrigation strategies based on highly localised weather and climate forecasts.

While mentioning his role in the research team, Dr Khalid said his work focused on integrating spatial data analysis and modelling tools for faster and more accurate emulations. 

He believed that this innovation would make a significant difference in Pakistan by bringing climate science closer to real-life solutions that protect lives and livelihoods.