Dr. Rafikh Rashid Shaikh is a researcher in Science Education and currently serves as a Senior Research Coordinator at the Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education, School of Education. He specialises in designing and implementing innovative educational modules. In collaboration with Dr. Shamin Padalkar, he developed astronomy modules for students and courses for teachers as part of the Connected Learning Initiative (CLIx) project, which received the prestigious UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa Prize for the Use of ICTs in Education.

Dr. Shaikh has been recognised through multiple fellowships, including the Foldscope Fellowship by Stanford University, the Citizen Science Fellowship by EarthWatch, and the Swachhata Sarathi Fellowship from the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Prime Minister of India. With a strong emphasis on fostering curiosity and scientific literacy, his work bridges classroom learning and real-world exploration, inspiring both students and educators to deeply engage with the wonders of science.