Zahid Hossain Khan First Bangladeshi Moderator Mentor at Harvard-Founded Aspire Institute. Zahid Hossain Khan First Bangladeshi Moderator Mentor at Harvard-Founded Aspire Institute. Zahid a second-year linguistics student at North South University (NSU), has made history as the first Bangladeshi to reach the position of Moderator Mentor at the Harvard-founded Aspire Leaders Program (ALP) a milestone achieved through four consecutive cohorts and over 1,000 hours of dedicated volunteer service.
A young Bangladeshi student has etched his name in history on the global stage of leadership development. Zahid Hossain Khan, popularly known as Zade, a second-year linguistics major student of Department of English and Modern Languages (DEML) under the School of Humanities and Social Sciences (SHSS) at North South University, has become the first Bangladeshi to attain the position of Moderator Mentor at the Aspire Leaders Program (ALP) the second-highest position within the globally recognized initiative.
The Aspire Leaders Program is operated by the independent nonprofit Aspire Institute, originally founded in 2017 at Harvard University by Harvard Business School professors Tarun Khanna and Karim Lakhani. Formerly known as the Crossroads Emerging Leaders Program, the initiative was rebranded as the Aspire Institute in 2021. Today, the program reaches over 50,000 participants from more than 120 countries, offering free, high-quality leadership training specifically designed for first-generation and low-income students across the globe.
Zahid’s journey within the program is nothing short of extraordinary. Out of 20,000 globally selected participants, he completed his initial four-month term as a participant with full marks. He was then chosen as one of only 35 Moderators from a competitive pool of 100 interviewed candidates. Over the following months, he served as a Moderator, then as a Returned Moderator, and later became only the third Bangladeshi ever appointed to the role of Senior Moderator. He has now risen to Moderator Mentor a position that places him among the most accomplished volunteers in the program’s history.
During Cohort 1 of 2026, Zahid served as Senior Moderator, accumulating 227 volunteer hours while leading a team of eight moderators operating across six countries. His outstanding performance earned him a formal Letter of Recommendation from CEO Meena Sonea – General Management Program of Harvard Business School and an official certification signed by both program Harvard founders. Now elevated to Moderator Mentor for Cohort 2 of 2026, he continues to guide and shape the next generation of Senior Moderators on a truly international stage.
Beyond his achievements at the Aspire Institute, Zahid holds multiple leadership and professional roles at NSU. He serves as an intern at both the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences (SEPS) and the NSU Cybersecurity Center, while also functioning as Event Team Lead of 10 skilled volunteers and Social Media Manager for both School and Center. He is also a Sub-Executive in the Department of English and Modern Languages (DEML), overseeing Marketing & Promotion and Human Resources & Management. Perhaps most notably, he is the founder of the NSU Future Leaders and Entrepreneurs Network (NSU FLEN), a growing community that has already surpassed 5,000 members.
Zahid Hossain Khan’s remarkable rise from participant to Moderator Mentor reflects not only his personal dedication but also the growing presence of Bangladeshi youth on the world’s most competitive leadership platforms. From Dhaka to the global stage, his achievement stands as an inspiration for an entire generation.
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