The Department of English, Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP) is elated to announce that Prof. Dr. Fahmida Haque, Chairman, Dept. of English, and her Teaching Assistant, Maliha Islam, presented their research at the 34^th MELTA International Conference on English Language Education. The conference was organised by the Malaysian English Language Teaching Association (MELTA) and held on 12-13 September 2026 in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

The paper, “Structured AI-Assisted Journaling for ELT Teacher Professional Development: An Exploratory Study in Bangladeshi Universities”, was authored by Maliha Islam, Asst. Prof. Shakila Akhter and Prof. Dr Fahmida Haque. The study explores how new ELT teachers can use AI responsibly and in a structured way. Here, AI acts as a scaffold, guiding early-career teachers through reflective journaling. The aim is for teachers to build the habit of critical reflection themselves, so they can continue it without AI support.

The session drew considerable engagement, as many participants were intrigued by the discussion. Prof. Dr. Md. Zulfeqar Haider, former Director General of the National Academy for Educational Management (NAEM), also attended from Bangladesh as a representative of the Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association (BELTA).

Held under the theme “Shaping the Future of Learning: Leadership and ELT Practitioners in Action”, the conference brought together around 250 educators, researchers and practitioners. Participants came from Malaysia and abroad, including Bangladesh, Japan, China, Korea, Indonesia, Nepal, India, the United Kingdom and Australia. The Department of English is pleased to have represented BUP at this international forum and looks forward to continuing its research on teacher professional development.