Md Syful Islam is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sea and Maritime Law at Ankara University, Türkiye. He previously completed his LLM in the same department with the highest distinction. Both programs were fully funded by the Turkish Government Scholarship Scheme, Türkiye Bursları.
He holds an LLB from the International Islamic University Chittagong and an LLM from Jagannath University, Dhaka. His research interests include ocean governance, the law of the sea, the blue economy, climate change and human rights, fisheries management, maritime migration, pollution control, maritime diplomacy, artificial intelligence and ethics, and irregular migration at sea.
Syful has published widely in journals indexed by Web of Science, Scopus, and ESCI, with additional papers currently under review. He has presented his research at numerous international seminars, conferences, and academic forums. He serves as an Associate Editor of the Journal of South Asian Issues.
Syful is a Research Associate at the Daffodil Legal Research Center (DLRC), Department of Law, Daffodil International University. He currently works as a Research Officer at the Dhaka-based think tank Research & Integrated Things (RIT) and as the Publication and IT Coordinator at the Center for Policy and Social Research (CPSR) in Türkiye. He is also affiliated with several research organisations, including the Bangladesh Centre for Ocean Law and Policy (BCOLP).
In addition to his academic contributions, Syful served as the Operations Manager at UniV, an educational platform dedicated to competence-based learning. He led a team of more than 400 members, managing operations, strategy, and policy development. He oversaw projects related to IT, language skills, international competitions, academic writing, research events, and higher education preparation. He also authored persuasive content on studying abroad and soft skills. He previously worked as a Legal Officer at Earth Face IT Firm in Dhaka, where he supported legal and compliance matters.
A committed advocate for social justice, Syful is active in human rights initiatives and has served as Country Director for the International Youth Association. As an independent researcher, he mentors junior scholars across South Asia.
With over a decade of experience, he has worked with national and international organisations, including Students For Liberty Europe, the Global Youth Summit, the Asian Youth Association, the IIUC Law Club, the Library Movement of Bangladesh, and Bangladeş Eğitim ve Kültür Derneği. He has participated in numerous academic and professional events across Türkiye, Nepal, and India, building expertise in nonprofit leadership, social innovation, research management, and global education.
For more about his scholarly work, visit:
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FNFksd8AAAAJ&hl=en&authuser=1