Dr Md Saiful Islam demonstrates impactful educational leadership through his strategic convening of key undergraduate and postgraduate courses within the School of Population Health. As the convenor of PHCH2005: Principles of Prevention and Public Health Surveillance and co-convenor of PHCM9788: Outbreak Investigations and Intelligence, he has taken initiative in curriculum redesign, assessment innovation, and fostering inclusive, student-centred learning environments. One of his key leadership strengths lies in his ability to create engaging learning experiences, with students noting, “He is very engaging and encourages students to participate in discussions and respond to questions” and “He cared a lot about the class and made it engaging.”

Dr Islam’s leadership extends to designing and delivering the Outbreak Investigation Tutorial for Phase 2 medical students, promoting cross-faculty integration between clinical and public health disciplines. His commitment to relevance and real-world application is demonstrated by his careful selection of guest speakers, who connect course content to current public health practice. As students reflected, “Did a good job selecting guest lecturers who discussed relevant, real-world examples of the course content” and “Saiful brought in exciting guest lectures working on relevant projects to our course.”

His leadership is also recognised beyond UNSW. As Co-Chair of the Early Career Academics (ECA) Committee for the Council of Academic Public Health Institutions Australasia (CAPHIA), Dr Islam contributes to national discussions on curriculum development and capacity-building for early-career educators. In 2024, he was awarded Associate Fellowship of Advance HE, recognising his leadership in educational practice, curriculum innovation, and dedication to student learning and development.