Bangladeshi scientist Saiful conducting research on social robots at US universities

Every year, students from Bangladesh and various countries around the world come to the United States for higher education.

Many face challenges in adjusting to studying in the US, including navigating streets and adapting to academic life.

To address these problems, Bangladeshi scientist and educator AKM Saiful Islam is conducting research on the use of campus robots at US universities.

His research focuses on the application of artificial intelligence and robotics in education, as well as proper management policies.

The social robot will not only assist with academic tasks but will also provide counselling and monitoring to prevent students from going astray.

AKM Saiful Islam told Prothom Alo that for students who smoke, this social robot will provide counselling to help them quit. Due to feelings of embarrassment, privacy, and self-respect, in some cases students may listen more to the robot than to a human.

Consequently, the social robot will also offer various advices on students’ social and health protection. In addition, the robot will assist teachers in classroom instruction and work as a tutor for students in the library, he added.

AKM Saiful Islam was listed as a scientist at the US National Science Foundation (NSF) in 2004. He is a social scientist and software programmer.

Currently, he is working as a professor in the Department of Communication and Media at Minnesota State University, Mankato, USA. His teaching and research areas include science communication, artificial intelligence and communication, human-robot communication, and health communication.

In addition, Saiful Islam has also taught at the University of British Columbia, Canada. There, his research focused on inter-professional education and practice in medical education, as well as the use of technology for post-treatment healthy living of cancer patients.

His teaching involved instructing doctors on community and social medicine research methods.

Professor AKM Saiful Islam is originally from Chattogram. After completing his SSC and HSC from Rajshahi Cadet College, he earned his MSS degree from Dhaka University. He then completed his PhD from Southern Illinois University, USA.

Saiful Islam told Prothom Alo, “Many people assume that robot development is only for science students. But that’s not the case. Developing a robot involves many different stages. We, who are researchers of social science and communication, work to improve the robot’s language and communication strategies. When I started researching artificial intelligence, I began thinking about the implementation of this social robot on campus. Our work is now in the final stage. Hopefully, we will see robots walking on campus very soon.”

The use of social robots will not be limited to campuses alone. Saiful Islam said, “For family members suffering from long-term illnesses, the social robot will assist in administering medicines on time, measuring blood pressure, and providing various other healthcare services. My father was a renowned physician and a professor at a medical college. The robot will be named Shahabuddin Robot, in his honour.”

Emphasizing the study of artificial intelligence and robotics for Bangladeshi students, Saiful Islam said, “From my long experience of teaching in the United States, I have seen that Bangladeshi students have a strong reputation at universities here. They perform well academically. But now, they need to do even better. The future world will revolve around artificial intelligence and robots. Therefore, students must study these subjects more extensively.”

Regarding opportunities for social science and communication students to study in the United States, Saiful Islam said that the US government invests heavily in social development in addition to industry and commerce. As a result, there is a demand for students of social science and communication here. Students of communication are needed across all fields, including science, technology, and health.

Addressing those who want to pursue higher education in the US, Saiful Islam said that for admission, including scholarships, having a strong Statement of Purpose and analytical writing is very important. These two aspects are carefully evaluated during the admission process.

In addition to Bengali, students need to read extensively in English and improve their English writing skills. Studying in English and academic writing for higher education are different. Academic writing in English should be developed by reading various research papers and books, he added.