Jahangirnagar University (JU) Syndicate has formed a committee to investigate Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences Sharmin Akter Shimu over allegations of extensive use of artificial intelligence (AI) in a research paper and presenting a short-term assignment in Japan as postdoctoral experience for promotion.
A Syndicate member who attended the meeting said the decision was taken at the Syndicate meeting on Sunday.
“The Syndicate did not grant Sharmin Akter Shimu promotion yesterday. An investigation committee has been formed to investigate the matter,” the member said.
Botany Professor Nazmul Alam will head the five-member investigation committee. Computer Science and Engineering Professors Shariful Huda Ripon and Jahidur Rahman are members, while Deputy Registrar (Education) Syed Muhammad Ali Reza will serve as member secretary. The University Grants Commission (UGC) will nominate the remaining member.
The allegations concerning Shimu’s promotion to associate professor were raised at a promotion board meeting on 3 August and subsequently brought to the Syndicate’s attention.
According to Syndicate sources, Shimu co-authored a research paper titled ‘Assessing Environmental Sustainability and Market Potential of Jamdani Loom Industry: A Baseline Study in Rupganj and Sonargaon Upazilas, Narayanganj District’ , published in Volume 9, pages 77–91, of the 2024 edition of the Jahangirnagar University Environmental Bulletin.
It has been alleged that 62 per cent of the paper’s writing was detected as AI-dependent.
The other co-authors are Environmental Sciences Department’s Mohammad Jamal Uddin, EQMS Consulting Limited Assistant Consultant Al-Shahriar Khan and Engineering Consultant and Associate Limited Research Officer Taslima Zaman.
Questions have also been raised over Shimu’s claimed postdoctoral experience. According to the allegations, she presented nearly five and a half months of short-term work at a laboratory in Japan as postdoctoral experience.
It was alleged that no offer letter, funding source or honorarium details were submitted for the work.
Instead of an official institutional certificate, Shimu submitted to the promotion board a “testimonial certificate” signed by Hokkaido University’s Institute of Low Temperature Science Professor Yoshito Chikaraishi.
The document stated that she worked there from 1 April to 22 September 2022. According to the allegations, the period was recognised as research experience solely on the basis of the testimonial certificate.
