Profil informationstekst

I am a researcher, educator and practitioner (Director of Social Enterprise and Entreprenure) with over 17 years of experience in socio-technical research, digital design, ICT4D, HCI4D, and international development. As an action researcher, my work bridges academic inquiry and practical implementation through large-scale digital transformation projects in agriculture, health, climate resilience, and refugee services.

Role and Research

I currently serve as an Assistant Professor in the Technologies in Practice (TiP) Section at the IT University of Copenhagen. Prior to this role, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher at ITU under the ERC-funded DecouplingIT project. My research focused on climate and digital transformation in disaster-prone and climate-displaced communities in Bangladesh, particularly in the areas of Climate Smart Agriculture, climate and mHealth, disaster forecasting, and solar energy in riverine island communities. I have also been engaged in policy-oriented research related to the Smart Bangladesh agenda.

I completed my PhD at the IT University of Copenhagen, where my research examined the role of human infrastructure in digital interventions across the Global South. The study involved extensive fieldwork in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Jordan.

Alongside my doctoral research, I secured and served as Co-Principal Investigator and Team Lead (design and implementation) for three major digital health projects funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, with a combined funding of DKK 3.7 million. These projects focused on mental healthcare, diabetes, hypertension, and child nutrition among Syrian refugee communities in Jordan and Rohingya refugee communities in Bangladesh.

Publications & Teaching

• Published in: Cultural Anthropology, Medical Anthropology, ICTD, IFIP 9.4, NordiCHI, PDC, EUSSET, WebSci etc.

• Teaching experience: ITU Copenhagen, University of South-Eastern Norway (guest lecturer), ASA University, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University

• Speaker: Copenhagen University (KU), KADK, Stockholm University

Core Areas of Work

• Digital/Precision Agriculture

• Digital Health & mHealth

• Refugee and Displacement Technology

• Climate-Smart Agriculture & Climate IT

• e-Livestock Services

• Water, Sanitation & Digital Advisory Systems

Key Projects and Leadership

• Director of Digital Agriculture, USAID Digital Agriculture Project (Fund: USD 19.5M) in Bangladesh, implemated and provided service across 110,000+ farmers. Partnered with Agricultural Ministry, Livestock Ministry, Fisheries Ministry on Digital Agricultural Extension. University partners were UC Davis (USA) and University of Illinois (UIUC)

• Project Lead (Bangladesh), Netherlands Government and NSO-funded precision agriculture project (sattellite and remote sensing technology driven) for 50,000 farmers (Fund: EUR 3.7M). Government Partners: Department of Agricultural Extension and Agriculture Information Service (AIS)
  University Partner: Wahgeningen University (the Netherlands)

• Co-PI and Design Lead, digital mental health, child nutrition and NCD (diabetes and hyper tension) care for 11500 Rohingya and Syriyan refugees refugees (Fund: DKK 3.6M). Implemented to with NGOs in Bangladesh and in Jordan. 

Digital Innovations

• Agriculture Knowledge Bank

• Remote Farmer Advisory Service (Farmer Query System - FQS)

• Digital Mental Health, Child Nutrition & NCD screening and diagnosis service

• Mobile Livestock & e-Livestock Systems

• Digital Water MIS for rural planning

Policy and Strategy Contributions

• Contributor, World Bank’s Climate-Smart Agriculture Investment Plan (CSAIP)

• Expert Advisor, UNIDO Smart Agribusiness Strategy

• Contributor, Bangladesh eHealth Readiness Mapping (Rockefeller Foundation)

Donor and Partner Networks

• USAID, Netherlands Space Office (NSO), UKAid, World Bank-IFC, EKN, GIZ, WaterAid, ERC, Novo Nordisk Foundation, and multiple NGOs.

Awards & Fellowships

• The Discovery Grant Winner at the IT University of Copenhagen

• Swedish Institute (SI) Nobel Prize Week Fellowship

• UN World Summit Award (WSA)

• MIT D-Lab Design Thinking Fellowship

• Swedish Institute (SI) Young Connectors of the Future (YCF)

• World Bank-ETHOS Fellow in ICT & Entrepreneurship

• Internet Governance Fellowship (APIGA & ICANN)

• National Mobile Application Awards (Bangladesh)

Summary of Impact

• Total External Funding Received and Mobilised: Approx. USD 25 million

• People Reached: Over 200,000 in South and Southeast Asia and Middle-East

• Sectors Engaged: Government, NGOs, Academia, Private Sector, Social Enterprises.

Forskning

My research interests focus on Digital Development, ICT4D, Digital Transformation (Global South), HCI, International Development, SDG. 

Ansættelser/stillinger

♦ Director of e-Agriculture, mPower Social Enterprises Ltd. Bangladesh (Jan 2017- Sep 2018)

Projects

- Project Lead, mPower (2016-2018): The Netherlands Space Office (NSO) funded Geo data to control late blight fungal disease in potato in Bangladesh (GEOPOTATO) project with 50,000 farmers.

- ICT Head of Operations (2013-2018): USAID funded Agricultural Extension Support Activity Project (e- Agriculture) with 110,000 farmers in Bangladesh

- Project Lead, mPower (2015-2018): The Netherlands Space Office (NSO) funded Geodata based information services for small farmers in Bangladesh (GEOBIS) project – with 50,000 beneficiaries 

- Project Lead, mPower (2017-2018): World Bank-IFC funded Digital Agriculture Advisory Service for PPCR Project with 30,000 farmers in Bangladesh and Nepal 

- Project Director, mPower (2017-2018): Water and delta capacity development project (DeltaCap) – 4 years long project funded by NICHE (Netherlands Government)

- Project Lead, mPower (2017-2018): USAID Feed the Future Asia Innovative Farmers Activity (AIFA) funded AgriBytes Project: A Platform that Brings Together Diverse Stakeholders in the Agricultural Sector of  Bangladesh through Sharing Data, Strategies and Innovation.

- Project Lead, mPower (2017-1018): Smartphone app-based and female entrepreneur driven farmer advisory services pilot project. Implemented by mPower and iSocial Bangladesh

- Team Lead, mPower (2016-2017): Climate and Agriculture Information Service (CAIS) Project – funded by Welthungerhilfe, Germany. 

- Team Lead, mPower (2016-2017): Mobile based Climate Smart Agro Information and Services for Farmers Project – funded by Christian Aid Bangladesh  

♦ Senior Program and Research Manager, mPower Social Enterprises Ltd., Bangladesh (Jan 2013 - Dec 2016)

 Projects

- ICT Head of Operations (2013-2018): USAID funded Agricultural Extension Support Activity Project (e- Agriculture) with 110,000 farmers in Bangladesh

- Project Lead (2013-2014): Mobile Phone based Program Management Information System (mPMIS) in water and sanitation sector – Funded by WaterAid

- Project Lead (2012-2013): Pilot intervention in ‘Intelligent’ Mobile-based Livestock Management System Project – funded by UKAid (Current name, FCDO)

- Research Lead (2012-2013): ‘Digital Monitoring and Evaluation System’ and ‘Mobile-based Change Management Evaluation System’ of ‘SHIREE Project’ – the biggest extreme poverty and economic empowerment project in Bangladesh funded by UKAid (Current name, FCDO)