Md Rabiul Alam, a Higher Degree by Research (HDR) researcher and casual academic at the University of Queensland’s (UQ) School of Education, has been elected to the UQ Academic Board.
Following the election, he expressed gratitude to the UQ research student community for the trust and support shown to him throughout the process.
His research focuses on language management, multilingualism, linguistic sustainability and language policy.
Beyond his teaching and research commitments, Rabiul has been actively involved in student representation and leadership.
He previously served as the School of Education HDR Representative and currently represents UQ’s graduate researchers in education in the Universitas 21 Education Graduate Researchers’ Community of Practice.
He also serves as an elected member and secretary of the Ironside State School Council in Brisbane.
Following his election, Rabiul said he hopes to listen closely to research students and bring their experiences and concerns into academic discussions across the university.
He highlighted key areas of focus, particularly research training, supervision, candidature, academic opportunities and financial pressures affecting HDR students.
He also expressed hope that his experience will encourage students and young researchers across different contexts, particularly those in Bangladesh, to engage more actively with the wider life of their universities.
Rabiul noted that higher education is not only about earning a degree, but also about developing one’s voice, taking responsibility, representing others and contributing meaningfully to the academic community.
