Special Correspondent, Times24.net: Bangladeshi researcher Md Rabiul Alam has been awarded the prestigious N. V. Varghese Prize for Comparative Education 2026 by the School of Education at The University of Queensland (UQ), Australia, in recognition of the quality, originality and contribution of his research to comparative education.
The prize recognises excellence in comparative education through a competitive selection process. The winner is chosen by the Head of School following the recommendation of a selection committee, which evaluates the academic merit and significance of the research.
Alam's research focuses on multilingual communication, language management and language sustainability in a Global South spiritual tourism setting. It examines how people from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds communicate, participate and negotiate belonging, and how social, cultural and religious values influence multilingual practices.
His work offers insights into language, inclusion and intercultural engagement beyond conventional educational settings. By examining multilingual communication within a transnational community, the research also highlights how Global South perspectives can contribute to broader discussions in comparative and international education.
Congratulating Alam on the achievement, Professor Robin Shields, Head of UQ's School of Education, described his examination of multilingual communication at an international religious gathering as "original and insightful", noting that the research has much to offer the field of comparative education.
Part of Alam's research was published in January 2026 in the international academic journal Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, with Alam as the first author. His doctoral research is supervised by Associate Professor M. Obaidul Hamid at The University of Queensland.
Established in 2001 by the Varghese family in memory of the late N. V. Varghese, a former academic at UQ's School of Education, the prize recognises outstanding academic achievement in the field of comparative education.
