Ridwan Islam Sifat

The rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in higher education has changed teaching and assessment practices and has introduced new risks for faculty well-being. This study, conducted in 10 public and private universities in Dhaka, Bangladesh, examines faculty burnout associated with AI adoption and academic integrity enforcement. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 37 full-time faculty members, each with more than 5 years of teaching experience. Reflexive thematic analysis identified 5 domains of burnout: workload intensification through invisible labor, technostress driven by rapid technological change, an investigative burden that moves the faculty role from pedagogy toward surveillance, ethical strain within a policy vacuum, and disruption of professional identity. Participants described AI integration as a structural intensifier of academic labor rather than a labor-saving tool. In the absence of clear governance, faculty members absorbed the cognitive, emotional, and administrative costs of institutional transitions. The findings support the need for written institutional AI policies, formal recognition of assessment redesign labor, fair and reliable misconduct procedures, and sustained professional development so that integrity enforcement does not rest on individual instructors alone. The results carry implications for university governance, national regulatory bodies, and occupational health in academic workplaces.

Compulsory education is a foundation for equitable development, yet many children in urban slums remain excluded. In Dhaka, Bangladesh, this exclusion challenges the assumption that cities naturally provide better educational opportunities. This study aimed to identify the social and economic factors influencing access to compulsory education among slum households. A mixed-methods design was applied using multistage sampling. Quantitative data were collected through surveys of 410 households across four large slums in Dhaka, and qualitative insights were drawn from 15 household interviews. Statistical tests, including Chi-square and one-way ANOVA, were used to examine associations between school dropout and socioeconomic variables. The results indicate that both social and economic conditions affect school dropout rates. Social influences include early marriage, child labor, drug use, low parental education, and household responsibilities that reduce time for schooling. Economic barriers include low family income, schooling costs, and dependence on child earnings. These constraints reduce the real opportunities children have to remain in school, which helps explain why exclusion continues despite compulsory education policies. Coordinated policy action is needed, including simplified school admission procedures, expanded mobile documentation services, and conditional stipends to offset incidental schooling costs. Adult literacy initiatives, stronger enforcement of child marriage and child labor laws, and practical training for school staff to work with slum communities are also important. These measures would support more consistent access to compulsory education for children living in Dhaka’s slums.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to fundamentally transform the policy‐making landscape, especially with the emergence of advanced technologies. This commentary discusses some of the key multifaceted implications of AI in public policy, highlighting its potential to revolutionize decision‐making processes, drive operational efficiency improvements, and enable more informed and effective policy interventions. This exploration also delves into the formidable challenges and constraints associated with AI integration, encompassing issues related to data bias, transparency concerns, ethical dilemmas surrounding privacy considerations, and concerns about potentially dehumanizing policy decisions. It emphasizes a pressing need for well‐defined frameworks and guidelines prioritizing ethical dimensions while safeguarding data security and human judgment within policy analysis. I consider some of the potential benefits and challenges of integrating AI into public policy and advocate for a nuanced approach that prioritizes enhancing the public good while focusing on values and ethical standards. Related Articles: Glen, C. M. 2021. “Norm Entrepreneurship in Global Cybersecurity.” Politics & Policy 49, no. 5: 1121–1145. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12430 . Robles, P. and D. J. Mallinson 2023. “Catching up With AI: Pushing Toward a Cohesive Governance Framework.” Politics & Policy , 51, no. 3: 355–372. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12529 . Veloso Meireles, A. 2024. “Digital Rights in Perspective: The Evolution of the Debate in the Internet Governance Forum.” Politics & Policy 52, no. 1: 12–32. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12571 .

Violence against women is a common phenomenon in all societies, and in countries where gender inequality persists, such as Bangladesh, this issue is even more pronounced. Violence against any entity often stems from subordination, and it is generally accepted that empowering women can help prevent violence against them. The objective of the study is to unmask how different the role of economic performance of both men and women is impacting types of violence against women. With numerical data from the World Bank and Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), we used Pearson correlation and OLS regression to extract the results from the raw data collected. The study finds that male unemployment is positively correlated with violence against women (including domestic violence, dowry-induced violence, and rape), while female unemployment shows an inverse relationship with the severity of violence. The findings emphasize the urgent need for policy interventions to address the underlying factors, effectively mitigate violence against women, inform policymakers and contribute to the development of effective strategies to promote a more equitable society.

In 2019, 1.74 billion people worldwide had anemia. In Nigeria, women of reproductive age are the most affected. Domestic violence affects the anemia prevalence, but few studies have examined the influence of urbanization on women in heterosexual unions (currently married, and cohabiting between). Using the social determinants of health framework, we argue that food-based violence and anemia vary among women residing in rural and urban areas. We used the Chi-square test and logistic regression to analyze the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey records (n = 10,499). The study showed that anemia occurs more among women in rural (66%) than in urban (34%) areas. In rural areas, anemia was 29% higher among women who approved food-based domestic violence (OR: 1.29, CI 1.15–1.57) than those who did not. In urban areas, food-based domestic violence was not significantly associated with anemia. This study emphasizes the urgent need for culturally sensitive maternal health interventions aimed at re-orienting individuals and families on violence in rural areas.

The concept of Islamophobia and the persecution of the Rohingya minority—these two phenomena are highly significant in the world context. These factors have affected systematic violence and statelessness for many years by the Myanmar Buddhist majority and the Myanmar government itself. The Rohingya community has a significant connection with several factors, including political, economic, national, and religious relations. This paper is dependent on a qualitative research methodology using secondary data was used. Myanmar is a non-secular, Buddhist-dominated country where the Buddhist majority holds a perception of Islam to justify their violence towards this community and to ensure Buddhist domination. This paper will shed some light on the argument, and discusses the extent to which Islamophobia is significant behind violations of human rights in the Rohingya community.