Professor AKM Mazharul Islam, Executive Director, Institute of Applied Anthropology and a Professor of Anthropology at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet has won this year’s prestigious Pelto Award for his outstanding contribution in applied anthropology.
He is the first Bangladeshi to win this award.
This award is given every year to an outstanding international scholar, who makes significant contribution in the application of anthropological knowledge.
The award includes funding for applied anthropology activities in award winner’s own country, three years of membership in the Society of Applied of Anthropology (SfAA) and three years’ registration at the SfAA annual meetings in the USA.
Born in 1974 in Gazipur, Bangladesh, Professor Islam is currently a Professor of Anthropology at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh and an Executive Director of Institute of Applied Anthropology (in a volunteer capacity) has been educated in Dhaka University, Minnesota State University, and Johns Hopkins University.
He has been a Chair of Anthropology Department at SUST for 10 years. He has a teaching experience in six universities in Bangladesh [SUST (Full time), Dhaka University (Part Time), BRAC U (Visiting), North South U (Visiting), Independent University of Bangladesh (Adjunct), Bangladesh U of Professionals-Visiting], Thailand (Mahidol University-Visiting) and in the US (Minnesota State University (during education leave)].
He worked as a Principal and Co-Principal Investigator in a good number of national and international projects funded and administered by Unicef, WHO, Save the Children, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Government of Bangladesh, UNDP, BRAC, ICDDR, B and University Grants Commission.
He published 35 articles in national and international journals and published 18 books (3 scientific; 15 creative literature). He has been a member of American Anthropological Association, Society of Medical Anthropology and Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.-Press Release.