Roshdi Rashed (Arabic: رشدي راشد), born in Cairo in 1936, is a mathematician, philosopher and historian of science, whose work focuses largely on mathematics and physics of medieval Arab world. His work explores and illuminates the unrecognized Arab scientific tradition, being one of the first historians to study in detail the ancient and medieval texts, their journey through the Eastern schools and courses, their immense contributions to Western science, particularly in regarding the development of algebra and the first formalization of physics.
Roshdi Rashed is the author of several books and scientific articles in History of Science. He is currently Emeritus Director of Research (special class) at CNRS (France). He was director of the Centre for History of Arab and Medieval Science and Philosophies (until 2001) Paris, and also director of the doctoral formation in epistemology and history of science, Paris Diderot University (until 2001). He is Emeritus Professor at Tokyo University, and at the Mansoura University, and also at the Paris Diderot University. He was a founder (1984) and Director (until May 1993) of the REHSEIS (Research Epistemology and History of Science and Scientific Institutions) research team, CNRS, Paris. He had several distinctions including: the CNRS Bronze medal (1977), Knight of the Honour Legion (1989), the Alexandre Koyré medal of the International Academy for History of Science (1990), the history of science medal and award of the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World (1990), medal and award of Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences (1999), Avicenna gold medal of UNESCO (1999), medal of CNRS (2001), medal of the Arab World Institute (2004). He had several honorary positions as Vice-President of the International Academy of the History of Science (1997), member of the Royal Belgian Academy of Sciences (2002), member of the Tunisian Academy "Bayt al-Hikma" (2012).