Curriculum

I am a postdoctoral researcher and practitioner (Director of Social Enterprise and Entreprenure) with over 16 years of experience in socio-technical research, digital design, ICT4D, HCI4D, and international development across the Global South. My work bridges academic inquiry and practical implementation through large-scale digital transformation projects in agriculture, health, climate resilience, and refugee services.

Current Role and Research

I currently serve as a postdoctoral researcher under the ERC-funded DecouplingIT project at the IT University of Copenhagen, focusing on - 

• Climate and digital transformation in disaster-prone and climate-displaced communities in Bangladesh

• Policy engagement around Smart Bangladesh

My PhD (ITU Copenhagen) examined the role of human infrastructure in digital interventions in the Global South, with fieldwork in Bangladesh and Cambodia. During this time, I co-led three major mHealth and digital health projects for Syrian and Rohingya refugee communities with Novo Nordisk Foundation (DKK 3.6 million).

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 e-Agriculture, USAID Digital Agriculture Project (USD 19.5M), impacting 110,000+ farmers

• Project Lead (Bangladesh), Netherlands Government and NSO-funded precision farming (sattellite and remote sensing technology) for 50,000 farmers (EUR 3.7M)

• Co-PI and Design Lead, digital mental health, child nutrition and NCD (diabetes and hyper tension) care for 11500 Rohingya and Syriyan refugees refugees (DKK 3.6M)

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

• Swedish Institute (SI) Nobel Prize Week Fellowship

• UN World Summit Award (WSA)

• MIT D-Lab Design Thnking 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 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.

Research areas

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

Employments/positions

♦ 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)