The insect diplomat: Dr Shawan Chowdhury’s mission to democratise global science
Dr Shawan Chowdhury
In a world where data often speaks louder than people, Dr Shawan Chowdhury from the Monash University School of Biological Sciences is quietly changing the narrative - one insect at a time.
From the outskirts of rural Bangladesh to the labs of Monash University, Shawan’s journey is not just a story of academic tenacity, but one of radical inclusion.
As Head of the Global Change Ecology Lab, his work is redefining what global science should look like - diverse, decentralised, and deeply connected to communities on the ground.
Through his lab Shawan works at the intersection of biodiversity, public engagement, and equity. His focus is the global decline in insect populations - a silent crisis that threatens food security, ecosystems, and climate resilience. But what distinguishes his work is not just its scientific merit. It’s the way he opens the door for others to step into it.
Rather than restricting research to silos, Shawan has pioneered a community-based insect monitoring program in Bangladesh, where citizens are trained to identify and record insect biodiversity. These programs are not tokenistic; they’re central to his research design. He calls it “science from below” - a way to bring science to places that the mainstream often overlooks, and to elevate the insights of people who are rarely asked for them.
“Insects are everywhere, and so are the people who can help us understand them,” Shawan told me during our interview. “You don’t need a PhD to see what’s happening in your backyard.”
His current research centres on biodiversity loss and global insect decline, but the lens he brings is far from traditional. Rather than restricting insect identification to academic circles, Shawan trains everyday citizens - especially those in historically under-resourced areas - to become biodiversity data collectors.
In Bangladesh, where formal scientific infrastructure is limited, his workshops have turned schoolteachers, farmers, and students into frontline contributors to ecological science.
“It’s about breaking the idea that only certain people in certain places can do science,” he said. “I come from one of those ‘unrepresented’ regions. I know what it feels like to be overlooked.”
His approach is not just innovative - it’s necessary. Shawan’s latest paper, co-authored with global peers, highlights the stark geographic imbalances in scientific research. According to their findings, many studies labelled "global" are disproportionately led by teams from a handful of wealthy nations. In Asia and South America, for instance, China and Brazil dominate publications, leaving vast swathes of lower-income countries underrepresented or invisible. Africa shows an even starker divide, with South Africa publishing more than all other regional low-income countries combined.
“This kind of structural exclusion is harmful,” Shawan says. “It sends the message that if your institution isn’t famous or your country isn’t wealthy, your voice doesn’t count. But these are the places where biodiversity is most threatened. And they’re the voices we need the most.”
His work with insect biodiversity is both a metaphor and a mission. Insects, like underrepresented researchers, often go unnoticed despite their vital role in ecological balance. Just as Shawan believes every ant, moth, and beetle matters, he believes every region - and every scientist in it - should be visible in the scientific landscape.
The visual that accompanies the team’s study - a world map streaked in deep hues showing how underrepresented much of the globe is in ecological science - is as arresting as it is sobering. Countries across Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of Latin America are painted in dark purples and blues, indicating almost no research presence.
But Shawan isn't content with highlighting the problem; he’s actively building solutions. His lab is pushing for open-access databases that aggregate local scientific expertise and democratise access to collaboration and funding opportunities. He also promotes multilingual dissemination of research, noting the growing number of scientists publishing in non-English languages, an often-overlooked facet of inclusion.
Shawan’s methods are gaining attention. His lab uses social media data to map insect populations and conservation needs, pushing the boundaries of what counts as valid data.
“There’s this idea that science is neutral,” he told me. “But if you only publish in English, collaborate with elite institutions, and ignore regional expertise, then you’re not neutral - you’re part of the inequality.”
His dream? A global open-access database of local experts - one that can be searched not just by name or field, but by language, geography, and cultural context. “We need infrastructure that doesn’t just accommodate the global South but centres it,” he said.
Insect populations are declining around the world with some 75 per cent of species insufficiently represented by protected areas.
“We can’t keep pretending science is inclusive just because a handful of institutions are global,” he said. “We need to make it actually global - regionally, linguistically, and socially.”
When I asked him what drives him through the barriers of global inequality, his answer was disarmingly simple: “I want kids in villages like mine to know they belong in science. Not one day - now.”
There’s a term in policy circles called “knowledge equity.” Shawan Chowdhury is living proof that it’s more than a slogan. It’s a path. And in his hands, even the tiniest insect is pointing us toward it.
Further information
Silvia Dropulich
Marketing, Media & Communications Manager, Monash Science
T: +61 3 9902 4513 M: +61 435 138 743
Email: silvia.dropulich@monash.edu