Generative AI tools have entered university life faster than institutions have been able to govern them, prompting policy responses that range from outright prohibition to largely unguided adoption. This paper examines the shift from restrictive to empowerment-oriented AI governance in higher education through a convergent parallel mixed-methods study comprising a structured survey (n = 71) and twenty-five semi-structured interviews across eleven academic disciplines at a private university in Bangladesh. The study documents patterns of AI adoption, stakeholder attitudes toward institutional policy, and barriers to responsible use. Participants situated within more empowerment-oriented institutional environments, including those characterised by AI literacy support, clearer ethical guidance, and stronger faculty engagement, reported greater confidence in using AI responsibly and clearer understanding of acceptable practices. By contrast, participants operating under restriction-only policies more often described uncertainty, confusion, and rule evasion. Regression analysis further showed that AI familiarity, frequency of use, and policy awareness were significantly associated with stronger support for empowerment-oriented governance. These findings inform a five-pillar framework for responsible AI integration encompassing AI Literacy Integration, Stage-Based Access, Transparent Use Norms, Assessment Innovation, and Faculty Development. Informed by stakeholder evidence and refined in dialogue with existing literature, the framework offers a practical model for institutions navigating AI governance in resource-constrained contexts. The paper contributes empirical evidence from a developing-country setting that remains underrepresented in current scholarship and highlights how responsible AI governance can support more equitable and context-sensitive higher education.

Women’s participation in the economy is vital to achieving gender equality, reducing poverty, and promoting sustainable development. In Bangladesh, many women possess valuable skills such as tailoring, handicrafts, baking, and cultural artistry, but religious, traditional, or social restrictions prevent them from generating income from these skills. Barriers such as limited mobility, lack of digital literacy, and lack of market access further prevent them from engaging in entrepreneurship. This study addresses this gap by capturing user perspectives to define requirements for an inclusive platform framework. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 37 participants across four regions of Bangladesh. Key findings indicate a complex pattern of conditional support functioning as soft restriction, high demand for a hybrid learning–marketplace model, and a gap between existing tools and user expectations. Based on these insights, this paper proposes a conceptual framework that prioritizes user-defined inclusivity, providing guidance for developers to move from universal to inclusive design.

Hospital websites are necessary infrastructures for users who want to book doctor appointments, look for essential information, schedule tests, and communicate with hospital authorities. Often, the experience with hospital websites is hindered by poor usability, accessibility issues for specialized need users, outdated user interface and technical problems. For this research, we conducted a mixed-method study with public and private hospital website users in Bangladesh to evaluate their experiences and encountered difficulties with the usability and accessibility of these websites. Our findings suggest that private hospital websites have comparatively better usability, but both type of websites do not meet accessibility requirements, pointing to the need for better design interventions. This study adds to HCI research by emphasizing user insights to improve healthcare experiences in Bangladesh.

Passwords serve as the primary authentication mechanism for knowledge-based systems, facilitating user access across a diverse spectrum of applications. Although password-based authentication is commonly employed in high-security environments such as security checkpoints and central control and command systems, it remains susceptible to fraudulent activities, e.g. shoulder-surfing and inference attacks (via direct observation, eavesdropping, or recording) particularly in public or monitored spaces equipped with CCTV cameras. In this paper, we present AuthVR, a Virtual Reality (VR) enabled authentication mechanism creating an additional layer of security in such high-security environments, significantly enhancing existing systems' security. Using Design Science Research Methodology, we assess potential threats and establish the system requirements. We present the architecture, its detailed protocol flow, validate its security through a formal analysis using ProVerif and provide a thorough analysis of the proposal's probable resistance against a number of attack vectors. Additionally, a user study is conducted to evaluate the usability and practical aspects of the system showing a positive impression towards the system.

Advancements in eye-tracking technology has compelled researchers to explore potential eye-based interactions with diverse devices. Though many commercial devices are now equipped with eye-tracking solutions (e.g., HTC VIVE Pro), little is known about users social acceptance and preference of eye-based interaction techniques, especially with smartphones. We report on three studies to explore users’ social acceptance and preferences regarding different head- and eye-based inputs with smartphones. Study results show that eye movements are more socially acceptable than other head- and eye-based techniques due to its subtle nature. Based on these findings, we further examine users preferences regarding saccade and pursuit eye movements. Results reveal users’ preference for saccade compared to pursuit eye movements. In a third study exploring delimiting actions to discriminate between intentional and unintentional eye-inputs, Dwell is shown as the preferred delimiter, both in public and private spaces. We conclude with design guidelines for eye-based interactions on smartphones.