Abstract
Dr Tanzil Rahman is an academic researcher, migration expert, and advocate for sustainable economic and demographic growth, with deep roots in Darwin, Australia. He was raised in the Northern Territory, and has maintained a lifelong connection to the region and passion for helping it to reach its full potential.
Tanzil grew up in the northern suburbs and attended local public schools before embarking on an academic journey that took him across the globe. He is excited to be back in Darwin, ready to leverage his global expertise to help shape a prosperous future for the Northern Territory. He believes in the region’s immense potential and is committed to ensuring its growth benefits both current and future generations.
Vision
Tanzil is passionate about economic policy and structural reform. He envisions a future where the Northern Territory realises economic and social prosperity by attracting beneficial investment, creating quality jobs, and implementing policies that support sustainable population growth. With a strong foundation in research and advisory roles, he is committed to helping communities, businesses and government develop long-term strategies to improve the lives of Territorians and ensure access to real opportunity.
Early Life & Family
Tanzil was born in Canberra but raised in Darwin from the age of two. He is a third generation Territorian of Bangladeshi origin – his grandfather Mohammad Nurul Huq OAM was an engineer who worked on the Snowy Mountains in the 1960s, and ultimately emigrated to Australia with his wife and children in 1971. His family history is deeply intertwined with multiculturalism – multiple members have been recognised for their services to community, harmony and social cohesion, including his father, Jillur, a retired Darwin High School mathematics teacher.
Education & University
After graduating from Sanderson High School, Tanzil pursued studies in music, law, and economics at the University of Sydney, where he earned degrees with first-class honours in both Law and Economics and was awarded the prestigious University Medal for his thesis on Welfare Reform in North Australia. He was subsequently awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to attend the University of Oxford, where he obtained his Doctor of Philosophy degree, examining how states maintain competitiveness in the global market for skilled migrants.
Career
Tanzil specialises in economic migration and sustainable population growth, and has advised governments, multinational organisations, and corporations on strategies to attract and retain skilled professionals in an increasingly competitive global landscape. His expertise has been recognised at international assemblies, including the Global Forum for Migration and Development, Metropolis International, and United Nations Global Refugee Forum. He has also previously worked as a management consultant, government executive, project manager, and political advisor.
After spending over a decade working in Oxford and across the world, Tanzil made the pivotal decision to return home, driven by a desire to contribute to the region that shaped him. He returned in August 2023 to take up a bespoke role in the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet, to lead and focus the Northern Territory Government’s overarching strategy for migration, talent acquisition, and population policy.
In August 2024, Tanzil stood for election to the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory, to represent the inner-Darwin city and industrial electoral division of Fong Lim. He now serves as a Local Member, Chair of Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Branch Executive Member, and Assistant Minister for International Students, Migration and Population.
Hobbies
Beyond his professional pursuits, Tanzil has a lifelong passion for music – he is forever grateful for the wonderful musical education he received growing up in Darwin. He was the first Territorian to be admitted to the elite jazz performance program at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, specialising in saxophone and vocal performance. While studying at Oxford, he became prominent in the university’s jazz and orchestral scene, serving as a musical director, principal instrumentalist, and concerto soloist, and touring big bands around the globe. Since returning home, he continues to find joy in performing with local ensembles.
An ardent cricket fan, Tanzil played as a junior for PINT in Darwin, club cricketer in Sydney, and represented Oxford University’s Authentics and Hertford College 1st XI team as a wicketkeeper-batsman – though he freely admits he always did more damage with his mouth than gloves or bat. He continues to be a journeyman swimmer and rower, enthusiastic cook, and occasional baker of bread when he can get his sourdough starter to cooperate in Darwin’s humidity.