In recognition of significant contribution to science education, Shawon Mahmud, a student of the Physics Department from the 46th batch of Jahangirnagar University, has been honored with the prestigious Diana Award from the United Kingdom this year.
On Thursday, this award was presented by the British Royal Family.
Established in memory of the late Princess Diana of Wales, the Diana Award honors young individuals aged 10 to 25 worldwide who are actively engaged in social work.
In 2018, Shawon Mahmud founded Bigyanpriyo (Science Lover), which has now become the largest Bangla-language science-based network in the world.
Over the past six years, it has grown into a massive community of over 1.5 million science enthusiasts.
To date, they have created 25,000 digital content pieces, produced over 350 science-based documentaries, and answered more than 250,000 science-related questions. One of Shawon’s notable initiatives is "Project Prachi."
This project aims to train at least one member from 30,000 families in basic first aid by 2030.
With support from the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, they have already provided 18 hours of training to 200 school students.
Expressing his feelings about receiving the award, Shawon Mahmud said: "The Diana Award is an incredibly honorable achievement for me. It is not just an award but a unique recognition of the journey we have already undertaken. Since our path is correct, our first responsibility is to increase our pace. We plan to build the world's largest Bangla science network, connecting grassroots students with Bangladeshi researchers working abroad. To ensure that the country’s talent remains here, we must create research-centric employment opportunities in the country, which can be the foundation of this initiative."
Shawon further said: "In 2018, we started Bigyanpriyo with just 10 people. Initially, we conducted a study on 1 million people in the country. The study revealed that 76% of people cannot fully rely on science in their daily lives, and 61% consider scientific decisions to be taboo. This platform began its journey to spread the love for science among ordinary students."
The Diana Award is one of the most prestigious global recognitions, and it was presented to young social workers in memory of Princess Diana.
The award inspires young people to undertake innovative work and bring positive change to society.
This year, four young individuals from Bangladesh received this esteemed award.
