Building Democratic Resilience: NED University Students Honoured for DDI Research
What does it mean to study democracy seriously in the digital age?
At NED University of Engineering & Technology in Pakistan, it meant students spending months analysing more than 3,000 online posts, coding language patterns related to empathy, civility, trust, polarisation, and civic agency as part of the Democracy Discourse Index (DDI), a pioneering international initiative led by the GCRD and Sensika Technologies.
Guided by their professor, Dr. Wajiha Raza Rizvi and a small research team, and supported by the Department of English Linguistics & Allied Studies, these students became part of a founding consortium of only seven universities worldwide helping train the world’s first real-time democratic discourse measurement system. Their work was not simulated classroom activity. It was live international research contributing directly to the development of AI models capable of identifying early warning signals of democratic deterioration and social fragmentation months before institutional crises become fully visible.
“Universities have a profound responsibility not only to educate students, but to prepare them to engage the great democratic, ethical, and civic questions of our time.... The Global Centre for Rehumanising Democracy is proud to recognise the leadership of Dr. Wajiha Raza Rizvi, the support of NED University’s academic leadership, and the remarkable commitment of the students who coded and analysed thousands of posts as part of this important work.”
The DDI is registered on the Doha Solutions Platform for Social Development, launched in November 2025 by UN DESA and supported by the Governments of Qatar and France. This positions the students’ contribution within a broader global effort to strengthen SDG 16, democratic resilience, social cohesion, and evidence-based policymaking.
On 14 May 2026, the Awards & Recognition Ceremony will honour not only academic achievement, but the emergence of a new generation of democratic researchers already helping shape the future of civic life. NED University is one of seven universities participating in the DDI’s founding global consortium.
The event will be attended by senior academic and institutional leaders including Prof. Muhammad Tufail, Vice Chancellor of NED University; Prof. Noman Ahmed, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Coordinator of the UNESCO Chair on Sustainable Urban Regions; Prof. Dr. Sajida Zaki, Chairperson of the Department of English Linguistics & Allied Studies; Prof. Mirza Mehmood Baig, Dean of Architecture & Sciences; and Dr. Jacob Udo-Udo Jacob, Executive Director of GCRD
In a statement, GCRD Board Chair, Dr. Margee Ensign said:
“Universities have a profound responsibility not only to educate students, but to prepare them to engage the great democratic, ethical, and civic questions of our time. What the students and faculty at NED University of Engineering & Technology have accomplished through the Democracy Discourse Index is an example of higher education at its very best: rigorous, globally relevant, interdisciplinary, and deeply connected to the public good.
Having served as President of international universities across three continents for over fifteen years, I have seen firsthand the transformative power of students when they are trusted with meaningful research and real-world responsibility. These students did not simply participate in a classroom exercise. They contributed to a pioneering international initiative examining the health of democratic discourse in an increasingly fragile digital world.
The Global Centre for Rehumanising Democracy is proud to recognise the leadership of Dr. Wajiha Raza Rizvi, the support of NED University’s academic leadership, and the remarkable commitment of the students who coded and analysed thousands of posts as part of this important work. Their contribution reflects the kind of intellectual seriousness, civic imagination, and democratic responsibility the world urgently needs.”
Learn more about the DDI at GCRD – Democracy Discourse Index and Pakistan Discourse Observatory
