Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) has inaugurated the country’s first Artificial Intelligence and Education Policy Lab under its Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.

The inauguration ceremony was held on Tuesday (31 March) at the university’s central library building. DUET Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Mohammad Zainal Abedin attended the event as the chief guest, while Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Arefin Kawser was present as a special guest.

The event was presided over by Prof Dr Md Abdur Rahman Farhad, sub-project manager of the University Grants Commission’s Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) project.

Other special guests included Prof Dr Md Shawkat Osman, chairperson of UATFS; Prof Dr Md Kamal-Al-Hasan, dean of the Faculty of Science; and Prof Mosammat Tahura Parvin, head of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences.

In his speech, the vice-chancellor said artificial intelligence has become an active and influential tool in academia, transforming teaching, research, assessment systems and knowledge creation.

“We are now on the threshold of the Fifth Industrial Revolution. To achieve global goals in the education sector, there is no alternative to the proper use of AI at all levels while building on the gains of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” he said.

He added that DUET aims to gradually integrate AI into its curriculum and academic and administrative functions to make the country’s education system more dynamic, modern and internationally competitive.

The vice-chancellor said the inauguration marked not just a formal launch, but also a significant milestone demonstrating the responsibility, creativity and technical excellence of DUET teachers in implementing UGC projects.

“This lab, implemented under the supervision of the government and UGC with World Bank financing, stands as a landmark example of transparency and effective utilisation of public funds,” he added.

He expressed hope that the lab would play a leading role in building a more sustainable and innovation-driven future for the university.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Arefin Kawser said the lab would contribute significantly to modernising higher education and research at DUET.

“By leveraging artificial intelligence in policy-making and implementation, this lab will strengthen engineering and technological education in the country and enhance DUET’s future contributions,” he said.

Among others present were Prof Dr Ruma, dean of the Faculty of Electrical and Electronic Engineering; Prof Dr Md Nazim Uddin, dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering; Prof Dr Hasan Mohammad Mostafa Afroz, head of the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering; Prof Dr ANM Mominul Islam Mukut, director of the Institute of Energy Engineering; and Prof Dr Md Abdus Sahid of the Department of Textile Engineering, along with other teachers and officials.

The Artificial Intelligence and Education Policy Lab at DUET has been established under the HEAT project and is the first of its kind in Bangladesh. The lab is expected to support policy formulation in the education sector to help achieve national development goals and reform technical education in line with global demand.