I am Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, originally from Bangladesh, and a Ph.D. student at the Department of Sociology, Lancaster University, UK. I commenced my Ph.D. program on October 1, 2021, under the joint supervision of Dr. Jasmine Fledderjohann (Senior Lecturer in Sociology and Social Work) and Dr. Luke Parry (Reader in Environmental Social Science).

I am diligently working on my Ph.D. thesis, thanks to the Lancaster University PGR Scholarship 2021 that I was awarded. This scholarship enabled me to collaborate with Dr. Jasmine Fledderjohann’s Future Leaders Fellowship within the Sociology Department at Lancaster University, UK.

I proudly hold the position of Doctoral Researcher within the Food Security for Equitable Future Research Project at the Department of Sociology, Lancaster University, located in Lancaster, UK. I am actively involved in generating robust evidence on food insecurity across the global majority nations.

My Ph.D. thesis focuses on unraveling the intricate interplay between sociodemographic, economic, political, and physical environmental factors and their impact on food insecurity, with a particular focus on Global Majority countries. Bangladesh serves as the primary case study for this exploration. More detailed information about my thesis research questions and objectives could be provided upon request.

My doctoral journey is driven by a passionate pursuit of knowledge and a commitment to unraveling the complex tapestry of issues that shape our world. Through rigorous research, I aspire to contribute meaningfully to the collective understanding of these critical challenges and their potential solutions.

My current academic interests span a range of topics, including climate change, agriculture, food security, environmental policy, governance, and interdisciplinary social research. This multifaceted approach enables me to contribute comprehensively to the discourse surrounding complex societal issues and their intersections.

Extending beyond my immediate research scope, my academic pursuits encompass environmental policies and governance, including the profound ramifications of global climate change on diverse dimensions, such as human well-being, socioeconomic paradigms, and intricate environmental dynamics. Through my research, I endeavor to shed light on how individuals respond to and engage with adaptation and mitigation strategies to address the pressing challenges of sustainability, spanning local, national, and global levels.

I am the Membership Officer at the RGS Food Geographies Research Group (FGRG) within the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG). I also hold the position of Associate Fellow-Postgraduate at the Royal Geographical Society and a PGR Member at the American Sociological Association (ASA).

Recently, I was awarded the Engagement Fellowship at the Work in Progress Engagement Academy at Lancaster University. I have also worked as a Temporary Survey Designer and Data Analyst in the Department of History at Lancaster University.

Furthermore, I have served as an Assessor (Marking) for various undergraduate courses in the Sociology Department at Lancaster University. Additionally, I have held the role of Consultant and ORD Expert Reviewer for the GDN AWARD since 2020, an initiative by the Global Development Network.

I am also a member of the South Asia Reading Group and Lancaster Asia Area Research Group (LAARG), the Centre for Child and Family Justice Research (CFG), and The Centre for Mobilities Research (CeMoRe) at Lancaster University.

After completing my bachelor’s in environmental sciences from Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, Bangladesh, I pursued a master’s degree in the same department.

Recently, I acted as the principal investigator at the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder, USA, overseeing two projects: ‘Homelessness, Housing Precarity and Disaster Network (HHDN)’ and ‘COVID-19 and Healthcare Workers in Bangladesh’.

For more than four years, I worked as a Researcher, Practitioner, Climate Change and Policy Advocate based in Bangladesh. My background includes extensive experience in scientific and social research, along with over four years of involvement in climate change planning and environmental, social, and development interventions. I have also contributed as a Research and Development Professional to organizations such as the Centre for People & Environ (CPE), the Network on Climate Change in Bangladesh (NCC,B), the Refugee and Migratory Movements Research Unit (RMMRU), the Department of Environmental Sciences (JU), Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies (BCAS), Bangladesh Institute of ICT in Development (BIID), and Grameen Communications, participating in various development and research projects.

During my early professional journey, I intensely promoted research and advocacy on climate change impact, adaptation, financing, loss and damage, and migration. This included coordinating research and advocacy activities, collaborating with the Government of Bangladesh, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, and supporting the Bangladesh Climate Action Forum (BCAF) in forming a national stakeholder alliance.

I hold memberships in several professional associations, including the American Sociological Association (ASA), Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), UN Environment Programme Major Group for Children and Youth (UNEP MGCY), IUCN Commission on Environmental, Economic and Social Policy (CEESP), Population-Environment Research Network (PERN). I am a Lifetime Member of Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (BAPA).

My involvement extended to being the Country Coordinator for Bangladesh at the Global Affairs Unit (GAU) of the 16th UN Climate Change Conference of Youth (COY16). Additionally, I was a Global Coordination Team member at YOUNGO, the Children and Youth Constituency at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). I also contributed as the Communication Focal Point and Core Team Member of YPARD Bangladesh. Since April 2020, I have been dedicated to mentoring researchers from low and medium-income nations through the AuthorAID platform and my website. I am mentoring potential PGR students and train them for higher study preparation.

I have also served as an Expert Reviewer for the Global Development Network (GDN) in the Global Development Award Competition (since 2020). Furthermore, I have participated as an Expert Reviewer for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) on Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. I also engaged with the SLOCAT Partnership on Sustainable, Low Carbon Transport for the Transport and Climate Change Global Status Report (TCC-GSR) 2020. I’ve additionally worked as an academic reviewer for various journals, including Frontiers in Psychiatry, River Research and Applications, Cogent Economics and Finance, The Asian Fisheries Science (AFS), and Springer Nature Publisher.

I have presented my research at national and international conferences in the UK, Italy, USA, Germany, China, Egypt, and the Philippines. Additionally, I have authored several articles and book chapters published in peer-reviewed international journals and publishers. I was selected as a fellow of the GOBESHONA Young Researchers Program-2017, organized by the International Centre for Climate Change & Development (ICCCAD). I was also the recipient of the Lancaster University PGR Scholarship 2021, and I have been awarded several Training and PhD Summer School Grants and travel Grants, along with the SAYRID-Social Research Excellence Award in 2017 and the Best Paper Award at the 7th Climate Change Online Conference (CLIMATE2020) in 2020. I’ve also secured various research and project grants in recent years.

My strengths encompass a profound grasp of research knowledge, self-discipline, a strong work ethic, and the ability to collaborate effectively within teams. My leadership roles in various environmental, climate change, migration, and social research initiatives underscore my commitment to fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders.

Recognizing the intrinsic link between research theory and real-world application, I am devoted to exploring policies and strategies that address pressing societal and environmental challenges. My involvement in climate change, agriculture, and food security policy and governance is informed by the urgency of these issues, particularly in my home country and the Global South.