Birkar was born in Mariwan in Iranian Kurdistan (Rojhilat) in 1978.The mathematician sought asylum in the United Kingdom in 2000 and went on to become a professor at Cambridge University.
In 2018, Birkar was awarded the prestigious Fields Medal, also known as the Nobel Prize for mathematics. The prize is presented every four years to candidates under 40 years old who are recognized for their significant contributions in the field of mathematics.
Earlier this year, Birkar was presented an honorary doctorate from Erbil’s Salahaddin University.
He also received the People’s Award at a ceremony in London in June 2019.
Born Fereydoun Derakhshani, Birkar took on a new name shortly after arriving in the UK.
“I changed my name to Caucher Birkar [Kurdish for ‘migrant mathematician’] because I wanted it to reflect my personality,” he previously told Kurdistan 24, adding the name is also meant to convey someone “voyaging through mathematics.”
Describing his working habits to Prospect Magazine, Birkar said that most days he works alone in his dining room, often listening to Kurdish or classical music, writing little but thinking hard about the problem he is grappling with.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany