Honorary Doctorate Degrees Professor - Madjid Samii

REASON FOR HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE

Because of his global important studies and scientific contributions in the field of “Neuroscience” which had high impact on research and clinical applications, he has been awarded the title of “Honorary Doctorate Degree” by Üsküdar University Senate.

Professor Madjid Samii 

Professor Madjid Samii was born in 19 June 1937 in Tehran, Iran and was grown in a scientific family. After finishing his high school education in Iran, he moved to Germany and started his medical study at University of Mainz. Regarding his achievements during his medical study and his final university scores as receiving the highest achievable score in the final medical examination, he received the prize of Iranian Science Ministry for the best Iranian students in Europe. After graduation from the medical school and finishing a secondary study in biology, he started his specialty education in the field of neurosurgery in the University of Mainz and received his board of neurosurgery in 1970.

In April 1970 and in the age of 32, he started his career as associate professor and vice director of neurosurgical department at university of Mainz. One year later, in 1971, he became the professor of neurosurgery. In this year he received an offer from the “National University” of Iran to become professor and chairman of neurosurgical department. He refused such an important position in order to continue his scientific career in the University of Mainz. In 1977 he became the Chairman of Neurosurgical Department in Hannover, Germany (Nordstadt Hospital); a position that he possessed till 2003. After several calls for the chair of neurosurgery from universities of Leiden (Netherland) and Mainz (Germany), he finally accepted the chair of neurosurgery in Hannover School of Medicine (MHH) Germany in 1988.  Since 1996, he acted as the chairman of both Neurosurgical Departments in Nordstadt Hospital and Hannover School of Medicine. In 2000, Professor Samii founded the International Neuroscience Institute (INI) in Hannover and was nominated as President. In 2003 he retired from the chairs of Neurosurgical

Departments in Nordstadt Hospital and Hannover School of Medicine and devoted himself to further development of International Neuroscience Institute. In 2004, Professor Samii also accepted the presidency of China International Neuroscience Institute at the Capital Medical University in Beijing, China. In 2010 “Iran International Neuroscience Institute” in Tehran has been planned and the construction procedure has been started. Professor Madjid Samii is founder and president of Iran INI, which will be inaugurated in near future.

A major aspect of Professor Samii’s scientific career was his devotion to education and enhancement of neurosurgery. From the beginning of his career as the professor of neurosurgery, he put a major emphasis on education of neurosurgeons from all over the world. He held regular annual or biannual courses in microneurosurgery in the University of Mainz since 1971. In 1979, Professor Samii established the world’s first educational course in skull base surgery in Hannover.  Aside from his regular courses in Germany, he started to plan similar educational courses in many countries all over the world to enhance the knowledge of neurosurgery. In 2004, as the president of INI-China, he organized a permanent annual international course in clinical neurosurgery. Also in 2004 the directory board of Iranian social security organization has offered Professor Samii the chairmanship of neurosurgical department in Milad hospital in Tehran. Under his leadership, a very strong educational program for the staff has been planned and performed. The department is now one of the most developed neurosurgical centers. Since 2006 professor Samii established continuous international neurosurgical symposiums in Tehran under his direction.

Professor Madjid Samii was the founding president and founding member of several national and international foundations and societies. During his scientific life, Professor Samii received many honorary professorships, honorary doctorates and visiting professorships from all over the world. He has also given many honorary and memorial lectures. Professor Samii is honorary member of many national academies of medical science and national, international and continental societies of neurosurgery. He has received several prestigious national and international awards, honors and medals. He was also guest of honor in many neurosurgical meetings and had given more than 1000 lectures as special and invited lecturer in international congresses. He has been a guest of honor at the neurosurgery meetings held in many countries of the World from Germany to India and China to Russia. 

After being elected as the president of German society of neurosurgery, German society of skull base surgery, International skull base society, international skull base study group and German society of plastic and reconstructive surgery, he was elected as the president of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) from 1997 to 2001. Since 2001 he acted as the honorary president of WFNS and honorary president of WFNS foundation.
In 2011 WFNS has appointed Professor Madjid Samii as ambassador for Africa. He has created in this position the project of “Africa 100”.
Professor Samii is Editor, member of editorial board and honorary editor of many medical journals. He has ever published 17 books in the field of neurosurgery. His scientific works are also published in more than 500 scientific articles.

One of the most important achievements of professor Samii is education of more than a thousand neurosurgeons around the world. Most of these neurosurgeons are in leading positions in their countries. In 2002, his pupils and friends founded an international neurosurgical society under the name of “Madjid Samii Congress of International Neurosurgeons (MASCIN)” which was later changed its name to “Madjis Samii Society of International Neurosurgeons (MASSIN)”.

In 2011 the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) in an unprecedented action named its medal of honor after Professor Madjid Samii. The “Madjid Samii Medal of Honor” will be awarded every two years along with a prize of 10000 euros to the most prominent neurosurgeon worldwide and is a high honor for the recipient. The first medal and prize ceremony was held in 2011 in Brazil along with the WFNS meeting and the winner was Maurice Chox, the professor of Marseille university in France.
Professor Samii married to Mahshid Samii since 1961 and has two children. His daughter, Amireh Samii, studied economy and his son, Professor Amir Samii, is a famous professor of neurosurgery and currently acts as the vice-director of the neurosurgical center at INI-Hannover.