GKM Mustafizur Rahman, Ph.D

    Prof. Dr. Mustafiz

Dr. Mustafiz, Vice Chancellor of BSMRAU is a professor of Environmental Soil Science, he began his teaching career at the Department of Soil Science of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University (BSMRAU), a special agricultural university (Central of Excellence for the agricultural education) of Bangladesh as an associate professor from May 30, 2004. He promoted as a full pledged professor in the same Department since August, 2008. Prior to which he served as a Senior Scientist at the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) for the period of 14 years. He has been involved with teaching and research on Soil Chemistry & Soil Fertility, Environmental Pollution Chemistry, Biogeochemistry and Climate Change aspects. He obtained his BSc. in Agriculture Honors in 1988 and MSc. in Soil Science (Soil Phosphorus Chemistry) in 1993 from Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU). He was awarded his Ph.D. degree in Pesticide Toxicology (Soil Pollution Research) in 2000 from Laboratory of Pesticide Toxicology of Chiba University, Japan.

Dr. Mustafiz was nominated by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from BINA to attend the Acid Soil Management extensive training program on “The Use of Isotope and Radiation Techniques in Studies of Soil/Plant Relationships with Emphasis on Crop Production on Acids Soils” from March 6 to April 7, 1995, organized by the Department of Agriculture, Bangkok, Thailand. He was also nominated by his Ph.D. supervisor of Chiba University to take an advanced post-doctoral training program on “pesticide and heavy metal in the environment” May 16 to 31, 2000. Japan Analytical Chemistry Consultant Co., Ltd. (JACC), Japan.

He was awarded two prestigious fellowships for a visiting professorships, as an progressive researcher on “Environmental Soil Scientist and Biogeochemist” at the Institute of Soil Science (ISS) of Chinese Academic of Science (CAS) for 6 months funded by CAS fellowship from November, 2013 to April 2014; and also as an innovative researcher on “Biogeochemistry” at King Abdul Aziz City for Science & Technology (KACST), Saudi Arabia, for two months funded by KACST fellowship from February 2015 to March 2015.

He has served as soil health environment and arsenic expert/consultant part-time basis for 8 months (Jan 2011 – Aug 2011) in the IRRI arsenic project in IRRI Bangladesh office funded by IFAD and for 3 years (Nov 2011 – April 2014) in the climate change project entitled “Rice production in drought areas of Bangladesh” funded by World Bank/KGF/BARC.

He was attended a number of National and International Symposiums/Conferences in Bangladesh, Australia, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, South Africa, Thailand, USA etc. where research papers were presented in the area of Environmental Soil Science, Pollution, Biogeochemistry and Climate Change etc.

He has a vast experienced to successfully supervise a number of esteemed research projects on Soil Health Management, Industrial Pollution Assessment & Management, Biogeochemistry (arsenic, salinity), Modelling (climate change, salinity) etc. as a project leader/PI/project director funded by USDA, USAID, DANIDA, TWAS, CIDA, CIMMYT, World Bank-KGF, BENBEIS-MoE of Bangladesh.

He has to his recognition more than 80 research papers in journals and most of them published in the SCI Thomson Reuters journals. He has edited two books entitled 1. Assessment of Traditional and Modern Technologies in Climatically Vulnerable Ecosystem and Development of Strategy for Combating Impact of Climate Change in Bangladesh” published by DANIDA and PSU-PC Bangladesh (2013), 2. “Lime Technology for the Acid Soil Regions of Bangladesh”. An outstanding Project findings. Published & funded by Food for Progress Program in Bangladesh, funded by USDA, (2014). He also published three book chapters published by Springer, Singapore. 

Dr. Mustafiz continually challenges his students and sets high expectations for them. He is recognized as a familiar Ph.D. guide by BSMRAU and other agricultural university of Bangladesh. The total of 25 Ph.D. and 39 MS research scholars have been awarded Ph.D. under his guidance and among these 25 Ph.D. scholars, 10 of them have been successfully awarded their Ph.D. degree under direct supervision and major professorship of Dr. Mustafiz and other 15 have been completed their dissertation research under him and he served as a co-supervisor for them. He is also a motivational speaker and has conducted many workshops on the topics of Soil Health, Biochar Research, Arsenic and Heavy Metal Pollution Assessment & Mitigation, and Climate change. He is the external thesis examiner of University of Putra Malaysia (UPM) and other agricultural universities of Bangladesh. Besides he is involved with the editorial board of Journal of “Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources”, “Journal of Environmental Science” and “Annals of Bangladesh”. He has been serving as a member of many administrative and research committees of BSMRAU and other agricultural universities and institutes.

Dr. Mustafiz is associated with many national and international learned bodies. He is the member/life member of Asia-Pacific Chemical, Biological & Environmental Engineering Society (APCBEES), International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS), International Conference on the Biogeochemistry of Trace Elements (ICOBTE), Bangladesh Association for the Environmental Development (BAED), Bangladesh Association for the Advancement of Science, Horticulture Society of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Association for Biotechnology, Krishibid Institute of Bangladesh, Japanese Universities Alumni Association in Bangladesh (JUAAB) and Soil Science Society of Bangladesh.