BRACU conclave calls for ethical AI use and stronger academic integrity frameworks
BRAC University's Ayesha Abed Library organized the Academic and Research Integrity Conclave 2026, themed “Ethics, Quality, and Responsible Academic Practice in the AI Era,” on the university's Merul Badda campus today (9 September 2026).
The conclave brought together policymakers, academics, researchers, librarians and higher education leaders to discuss academic integrity, research ethics, responsible AI use, publication ethics, authentic assessment, institutional accountability and the development of integrity frameworks for higher education in Bangladesh.
Addressing the event as chief guest, Professor Dr Mamun Ahmed, chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh, emphasized the need for clear institutional guidelines on artificial intelligence, reforms in academic promotion systems, mandatory ethics education, and greater investment in technological tools.
“We dreamt of a society with human values such as ethics…yet sometimes parents are not practicing these values," said Rasheda K Choudhury, member of the Board of Trustees of BRAC University. She also noted that AI is creating a new form of inequality between those who can effectively use the technology and those who cannot.
Speaking at the inaugural session, Professor Arshad Mahmud Chowdhury, pro-vice-chancellor of BRAC University, said the institution views AI as an opportunity rather than a threat.
“At BRAC University, we believe that AI should not be feared; it should be understood and used responsibly…while maintaining academic standards and protecting the integrity, authenticity and trust that are essential to education and research,” he said.
Professor Emeritus AFM Yusuf Haider of the University of Dhaka highlighted the importance of maintaining human judgment in an AI-enabled world.
“We must learn to use AI responsibly as an assistant, a catalyst and a powerful intellectual tool, not as a substitute for human judgement, creativity and scholarship,” he said.
Providing a global perspective on the impact of generative AI, Chaitali Moitra, regional director for South Asia at Turnitin, said journal submissions have increased by 42 percent since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022. She added that submissions containing more than 70 percent AI-generated text had more than doubled between early 2024 and February 2026.
Moderating the opening session, Khairul Basher, director of the Office of Communications at BRAC University, underscored the broader significance of academic integrity.
“Academic integrity is not simply about preventing plagiarism or complying with rules and governance. It is fundamentally about protecting the trustworthiness of knowledge and fostering a culture where honesty, responsibility and intellectual curiosity can thrive,” he said.
Sayeed Choudhury, associate dean for Digital Infrastructure and director of the Open Source Programs Office (OSPO) at Carnegie Mellon University Libraries and executive director of the Open Forum for AI, joined virtually for a keynote on “Responsible AI and the Future of Academic Integrity in Higher Education”.
He shared how students are studying, modifying, and sharing AI technologies through the open-source, multi-LLM Dietrich Analysis Research Education (DARE) platform.
Another session was held titled “Beyond Compliance: Building a Culture of Academic and Research Integrity in the AI Era”.
In it, Professor Shamsad Mortuza, vice-chancellor of the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, emphasized the need for universities and their partners to create environments where credible knowledge can be produced at scale through clear provenance, robust methodologies, responsible data use, transparency, independent judgment and meaningful scrutiny.
At the same session, Professor M Tamim, vice-chancellor of Independent University, Bangladesh, proposed an institutional framework for academic and research integrity featuring accessible and clearly defined policies, alongside appropriate tools and training to help educators effectively monitor and guide students.
The conclave also featured a plenary session titled “Strengthening Academic and Research Integrity through Policy, Practice, and Technology in the AI Era”, moderated by Rubana Ahmed, proctor and assistant professor of the Department of Economics and Social Sciences at BRAC University.
During the session, Professor Kaosar Afsana, lead of Humanitarian Research at the BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, discussed five key dimensions of integrity in public health research: scientific rigor, data integrity, transparency, responsible publication, and accountability.
Addressing plagiarism prevention, Professor Mohammed Abdul Basith of the Department of Physics at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology stressed that prevention is more effective than detection. He recommended teaching proper citation and attribution practices while encouraging stronger note-taking and source-management skills.
Meanwhile, Professor Swakkhar Shatabda of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, also deputy director of the Institutional Quality Assurance Cell at BRAC University, highlighted the importance of cultivating metacognition, adaptability and practical skills to help students become lifelong learners.
Representing Ayesha Abed Library, Hasina Afroz, librarian of BRAC University, presented the evolving role of academic libraries as partners in integrity and introduced a framework centered on AI literacy, critical inquiry and responsible scholarship.
The day concluded with a roundtable discussion on “Building an Integrity Culture: Institutional Challenges, Policy, and Practice”, moderated by Professor Malay Kanti Mridha, director of the Central Research and Innovation Office at BRAC University.
As a key outcome of the discussion, participants proposed a set of initial recommendations for a national academic and research integrity framework. The recommendations will be compiled and submitted to relevant government authorities for consideration in future policy and regulatory development.
