BUET Prof elected TWAS fellow
Professor Dr A K M Akhtar Hossain of the Department of Physics at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) has been elected a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), one of the world’s leading international scientific academies, in recognition of his contributions to advancing scientific research in developing countries.
His fellowship will take effect from January 1, 2027. The recognition acknowledges his longstanding contributions to scientific research, academic activities and the promotion of science education at national and international levels.
The selection was formally communicated to Professor Hossain in a letter signed by TWAS President Professor Quarraisha Abdool Karim on November 5, 2026. In her congratulatory message, the TWAS president recognised his outstanding contributions to science and efforts to promote scientific research in the developing world.
The newly elected fellows will be formally inducted at the next TWAS General Meeting.
Professor Hossain has been contributing to teaching, research and higher education for more than three decades. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Physics at the University of Dhaka, securing first position in the first class in his master’s examination.
He later earned a PhD in Experimental Solid State Physics from the University of Northumbria at Newcastle’s Imperial College in the United Kingdom in 1998. His doctoral research focused particularly on colossal magnetoresistance.
Between 2002 and 2004, he conducted postdoctoral research at Osaka University in Japan under a fellowship from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).
He joined BUET’s Department of Physics as a lecturer in June 1994 and was promoted to professor in August 2008. He currently serves as a professor in the department and an associate dean of BUET’s Faculty of Postgraduate Studies.
He previously served as head of the Department of Physics and provost of BUET’s Titumir Hall.
Professor Hossain’s research mainly focuses on experimental solid-state physics and the properties of advanced functional materials.
His areas of interest include colossal magnetoresistance, superconductivity, nanostructured ferrites, ferrite-based glass and nanoferrite materials, dilute magnetic semiconductors, nanocrystalline alloys and next-generation functional materials.
His work examines the structural, electrical, magnetic and magnetoelectric properties of these materials, as well as their potential applications in modern electronics and emerging technologies.
Throughout his academic career, he has published numerous research papers in reputed national and international scientific journals. He has also supervised 14 PhD researchers, 44 MPhil researchers and 22 MSc-level researchers.
Professor Hossain is a Fellow of both the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS) and the Bangladesh Physical Society (BPS). His election as a TWAS Fellow adds another significant international recognition to his academic and research career.
TWAS is an internationally recognised scientific academy dedicated to promoting scientific excellence, strengthening research capacity in developing countries and advancing science and technology.
Professor Hossain’s achievement is a source of pride for BUET and Bangladesh’s wider academic and scientific community. His election also highlights the growing international recognition of scientific research and academic talent from Bangladesh.