Brisbane: Emeritus Professor Dr Shahjahan Khan, OAM, a Bangladeshi-origin academic and community leader, was formally invested with the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) at a ceremony in Brisbane today. The medal was presented by Queensland Governor Dr Jeannette Young AC PSM.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the award was announced on Australia Day, January 26, 2026, by Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn AC. This prestigious recognition was given for Professor Khan's significant and sustained contribution to Australian academia and the community over three decades, as detailed in a press release.
Professor Khan migrated to Australia in 1992 after completing his PhD in Mathematical Statistics from Western University, Canada. He joined the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) in 1993 and was instrumental in establishing its statistics department, serving as the founding Chair. Over the years, he held several key academic and research leadership positions, including Research Director.
In 2022, UniSQ appointed him as Professor Emeritus, marking him as the first academic of Bangladeshi origin to receive this distinction from the university. To honor his contributions, UniSQ introduced the Professor Shahjahan Khan Scholarship for international students in 2023.
Professor Khan's research credentials are substantial, having supervised 20 PhD students and published over 260 journal articles. He has also delivered numerous keynote speeches and research workshops, and authored books published by Springer. His academic excellence has been recognized with international honors such as the ISESCO Gold Medal and ISOSS Gold Medal.
Beyond his academic pursuits, Professor Khan has significantly contributed to multicultural and community development in Australia. As the founding president of the Islamic Society of Toowoomba, he was pivotal in establishing the city's first mosque and later led efforts to rebuild the Garden City Mosque after it was damaged by fire in 2015.
His extensive community service has been acknowledged with multiple awards from the Queensland government, police, and universities. Additionally, he served as Vice Chancellor of the Asian University of Bangladesh from 2022 to 2026 and is an Expatriate Fellow of the Bangladesh Academy of Sciences.