Mohammad Abbas Uddin Shiyak, Associate Professor of Dyes and Chemical Engineering at Bangladesh University of Textiles (BUTEX) and Consultant at Reed Consultancy, Bangladesh, has been named one of the winners of the prestigious Global Change Award 2025 for his idea “Decarbonisation Lab for Textile Process Innovation.”

The announcement was made on 20 May 2025 at The Olde Bell in London, UK. The award was formally handed to him by Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden, during the award ceremony held at Stockholm City Hall, Sweden, on 23 October 2025.

Often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of the fashion industry,” the Global Change Award is an initiative of the H&M Foundation that supports pioneering, early-stage innovations capable of decarbonising the global fashion industry. The 2025 edition received 476 submissions from 69 countries across six continents. The Expert Panel of the award reviewed each idea, shortlisted finalists, and advised on selecting the Top 10 winners.

As part of the award’s yearlong Changemaker Programme, Dr Shiyak will participate in three intensive weeks of training and collaboration organised by the Global Change Award team and their partners to prepare awardees for real-world impact.

The first week, themed “Getting to Know Each Other, Personal Growth, Systems Change,” took place in London from 19 to 23 April 2025, focusing on leadership development and systems transformation. The second week, “Industry Immersion, Nurturing Ideas, Facilitating Connections,” is currently being held in Stockholm from 20 to 24 October 2025. It includes industry networking, continuation of earlier learnings, and culminates in the industry summit and award ceremony. The final week, titled “GCA Graduation, Tailored Support, Refining Your Journey and The Road Ahead,” will be held in Vietnam from 26 to 30 January 2026, featuring factory and production plant visits to provide hands-on exposure to textile manufacturing.

Dr Shiyak expressed his excitement about joining a global community of innovators working to redefine the textile industry’s sustainability standards. Through the Changemaker Programme, he will collaborate with fellow pioneers to scale transformative ideas, amplify impact, and shape the future of fashion.