AIUB Students Triumph in Global Depression Detection Challenge
A team of computer science and engineering (CSE) students from the American International University-Bangladesh (AIUB) has achieved significant recognition at a recent international conference for their work in detecting depression using facial behavior analysis.
International Conference Success
Team Persistence, comprised of four AIUB students, earned first place at the 7th International Conference on Activity and Behavior Computing (ABC) 2025, held at Khalifa University in Abu Dhabi, UAE from April 21–25, 2025. The IEEE-sponsored conference included several international challenge competitions.
Tackling Depression with Technology
The AIUB team focused on the BeyondSmile2025 challenge, which centered on “A Challenge on Detecting Depression through Facial Behaviors and Head Gestures.”
Their work stood out among the submissions.
Award-Winning Research
The team’s research paper, titled “Facial Behavior-Based Depression Detection with Bi-LSTM and Evaluation via Universal and Hybrid Methods,” was recognized as the Best Paper. The team was awarded 100,000 Japanese Yen for their achievement.
Team Members and Mentors
The AIUB team consisted of **Md. Rakibul Islam**, **Dip Sarker**, **Md. Tafhimul Haque Sadi**, and **Labib Hasan Bayzid**, all students from the CSE department. They were supervised by **Dr. Md. Kabiruzzaman** (Assistant Professor, Department of EEE, AIUB), and **Dr. Shahera Hossain** (University of East London, UK).
AI’s Role in Mental Health
Globally, the use of AI in mental health is growing, with applications ranging from chatbots providing support to algorithms identifying at-risk individuals. Mental health disorders affect over 13% of the world’s population (WHO, 2024).
Looking Ahead
AIUB’s success underscores its dedication to promoting research, innovation, and international academic partnerships, preparing its students to tackle pressing global challenges.
