Ainun Nishat

Ainun Nishat (born 29 April 1948) He represented Bangladesh at the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2009, among other international climate-related conferences.

Background and education Nishat was born to Gazi Shamsur Rahman, lawyer and writer, and Zamal Ara Rahman, a graduate from Lady Brabourne College in Kolkata. Prof. Nishat attended many schools in different places such as Panchagarh, Bogura, Noakhali, Sylhet, Dinajpur before matriculating (SSC) form Dhaka Collegiate School in 1963. Nishat completed his BSc in Civil Engineering and MSc in Water Resources Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) in 1975. He obtained his PhD degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland in 1981.

Career Nishat started his career as an assistant engineer at the Bangladesh Water Development Board. He then joined his alma mater BUET as a lecturer in 1972 in Department of Civil Engineering. He became an assistant professor at Department of Water Resources Engineering in 1975 and he became a professor in 1985. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of BRAC University during 2010–2014.

Nishat is credited as a pioneer of water resource management in Bangladesh, and has traveled around the world presenting papers, talks and consultancies related to his subject.

Non-academic work Besides working on various projects of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank in Bangladesh, Malaysia and Philippines, he was a member of the panel of experts who consulted the construction of the Jamuna Bridge, the longest bridge in Bangladesh. And Center for Sustainable Development - (CFSD) with Mahfuz Ullah. Nishat also represented Bangladesh at the United Nations Economic and Social Council in the Committee for Energy and National Resources Development, and features at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.