De-radicalization and Reintegration of "Terrorists"

Dr. Kusakabe assumed his current position in April 2020, after serving as an Associate Professor at Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. He received his Ph.D. in Human Sciences from Osaka University Graduate School of Human Sciences. His research focuses on international cooperation, development sociology, and South Asian area studies.

Recent publication: Kusakabe, N. (2020). Disaster Vulnerability and Poverty: Cyclone Damage and Resilience in Bangladesh. ICON Press.

Dr Imtiaz Ahmed is a Professor of International Relations at the University of Dhaka. He is also a Visiting Professor at Taylor’s University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. He has authored, coauthored, and edited 57 books and 20 monographs and published more than 125 research papers and scholarly articles in leading journals and edited volumes. Dr Ahmed heads several national and international projects on mass violence, violent extremism, and the Rohingya crisis. His recent publications are the following books: COVID-19: the otherside of living through the
pandemic, edited (Dhaka: Pathak Shamabesh, 2021); Rights, Rivers, and the Quest for Water Commons: The Case of Bangladesh (Berlin: Springer, 2021); Innovation in Education, coedited with Liyan Zhang (Centre for Genocide Studies, University of Dhaka; Tianjin University of Finance and Economics, Tianjin; and Pathak Shamabesh, Dhaka, 2021); Rohingyas in Myanmar and Bangladesh: The Violence-Protection Dialectic and the Narratives of Certain Unsafety/Uncertain Safety, co-authored with Niloy Ranjan Biswas (Dhaka: Centre for Genocide Studies, University of Dhaka and Institute for Risk and Disaster Reduction, University College London, UK, 2022); Imagining Post-Covid Education Futures, edited (Dhaka: Centre for Genocide Studies, University of Dhaka, 2023); and Celebrating 100 Years of the University of Dhaka: Reflections from Alumni – National and International, in 7 Volumes, edited (Dhaka: University of Dhaka, 2023).

Afsana Mimi (born 20 December 1968) is a renowned Bangladeshi actress, model, and director. She earned the Bangladesh National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film Paap Punno. Mimi began her acting journey with the theater troupe Nagorik Natya Sampradaya and made her first appearance in the audio-visual industry in 1990. With a career spanning almost 30 years, she has starred in hundreds of TV fictions and also worked as a dubbing voice artist for the Bangladesh Film Development Corporation. Transitioning to direction in 2000, she directed numerous mega serials adapted from novels, such as Kachher Manush and Poush Faguner Pala. As a producer-director, she has worked on over 1,500 episodes of both fiction and non-fiction for television. Her directorial ventures include the feature film Paap Punno, directed by Giasuddin Selim, as of December 2021, as well as the television show Nostalgia on ATN News. Mimi also serves as the director of Ichchhetola, a cultural center for children and teenagers in Uttara, Dhaka. Additionally, she has held the position of director at Shilpakala Academy. A graduate from the University of Dhaka, Mimi has been a driving force behind numerous companies, producing and directing a wide range of audiovisual productions, from television commercials to documentaries, dramas, telefilms, and feature films.

Saidul Islam, a seasoned psychologist and mental health professional, is currently working as an Assistant Student Counselor at North South University. He achieved Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the University of Dhaka. He has been practicing for ten years and has exclusive training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Neuropsychological Assessment and Treatment, and systemic and family therapy. He has worked as a clinician, trainer, and supervisor in government hospitals and offices, universities, rehabilitation centers, and NGOs. He is an international member of the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH), a member of the Association for Therapeutic Counselor, Bangladesh, and Bangladesh Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (BACAMH), and an Affiliate Member of the Bangladesh Clinical Psychology Society. Recently he has published in Asian American Journal of Psychology as the first author

Joined the company in 1989. Won the Japan Newspaper Publishers and Editors Association Award consecutively during the time in the social affairs department, and received the Vaughn-Ueda Memorial International Journalist Award while serving as a Washington correspondent. During the summer of 2014, as a Jerusalem correspondent, reported from the Gaza side of the conflict in Gaza. During the Japanese kidnapping incident by ISIS, interviewed former combatants and detailed the radicalization process in the book "Distorted Justice: Why 'Ordinary People' Become Radicalized." The recent book "The Narrative that Moves People: Why Are We Deceived by That 'Story'?" explores the relationship between conflicts and narratives.

Dr. Tsutomi specializes in criminology and evaluation research, focusing on the effects of employment support for offenders and delinquents as a method of special prevention. His career spans both academic and practical fields, including positions at the Ministry of Justice Correction Bureau, Naniwa Juvenile Training School, and the United Nations Asia and Far East Institute for the Prevention of Crime and Treatment of Offenders.

From 2002 to March 2024, Dr. Tsutomi served as a professor at Shizuoka Prefectural University, where he also held roles as the Director of the Career Support Center and Vice Director of Student Affairs.

His research interests encompass criminology, evaluation research, delinquency and crime, youth support, social inclusion, poverty issues, community development, democracy, and civil society. Dr. Tsutomi earned his Master of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1988.

Currently, he is the representative of the NPO Youth Employment Support Network Shizuoka and the "Second Chance!" initiative, actively bridging research and practical social contribution.

Joined The Japan Foundation in 1996, gained experience in designing and managing programs for intellectual/arts exchange, and promoting Japanese studies abroad, with regional focus on Southeast and South Asia. From 2001-2005 served as an Assistant Director of the Japan Foundation Jakarta Cultural Center, and from 2007-2008 as an assistant to the President. Joined the Sasakawa Peace Foundation in 2008, and designed Foundation’s program for peace building and conflict resolution in Southern Thailand. After serving as Director of the Asia Peace Initiatives Department, she has served as Director of the Peacebuilding Program since 2022.