Bangladeshi researcher Md Rabiul Alam has been elected as the Postgraduate Research Student Member of The University of Queensland Academic Board for a term of one year beginning on 1 January 2027. He secured the sole postgraduate research student seat on the Board through a competitive election involving six candidates.
As UQ’s principal academic advisory body to Senate, the Academic Board advises the Senate and Vice Chancellor on matters relating to the University’s teaching, research and educational programs. The University of Queensland is home to more than 60,000 students, including over 4,000 HDR students, and is ranked among the world’s top 40 universities in the QS World University Rankings 2027.
Rabiul is an HDR researcher and casual academic at UQ’s School of Education. His research focuses on language management, multilingualism, linguistic sustainability and language policy.
Beyond his teaching and research, 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.
Rabiul expressed his gratitude to the UQ research student community for the trust they placed in him and the support they showed throughout the election. He hopes to listen closely to research students and bring their experiences and concerns into academic discussions across the University, particularly in areas such as research training, supervision, candidature, academic opportunities and financial pressures affecting HDR students.
He also hopes 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. He believes 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.