Zakiul Islam holds a Ph.D. from the North Carolina State University, USA and a Master of Architecture (M. Arch.) from the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), USA. Zaki has an international reputation on the design and research of environment and health. He was invited as an expert to the Environment and Physical Activity meeting at the World Health Organization (WHO), Switzerland. He has worked as an editor and reviewed international journal papers. Zaki has published book chapters and highly cited journal papers.

An accomplished researcher with experience to work at Natural Learning Initiative, USA, Zaki was the Principal Investigator of Bangladesh for the IPEN Adolescent Study, a research project funded by the National Institute of Health, USA which included 14 different countries. An active member of the International People’s Environment Network and Leadership Council of the International School Ground Alliance. His supervised post-graduate students have won Best Student Paper Awards in international conferences and design studio students have won international student design competitions.

A Registered Architect whose career as an architect started under the direct supervision of Late Architect Muzharul Islam at Vastukalabid. Zaki’s designed project received the Berger Best Young Architect Award and was selected to be sent for the Aga Khan Award of Architecture. Recently completed and on-going projects include the first-ever Ship Modelling Test Center in Bangladesh, 18 Storied Residential Tower at BUET, Gulshan Central Park, and Regional Training Institute of the Sonali Bank. During his tenure as the Secretary of Education and Research of the Institute of Architects Bangladesh, the accreditation standard for the architecture education was approved. Currently, he is working jointly with Cardiff University, UK in a funded research project to study Primary schools.