Matthew Onyebuchi Ndiribe

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.16.40

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Governing Generative AI in UAE Humanities Research: Ethics, Academic Integrity, and Institutional Readiness

Abstract
The rapid expansion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed higher education and academic research worldwide, particularly in humanities disciplines that depend heavily on interpretation, critical reasoning, and intellectual originality. While large language models (LLMs) offer substantial opportunities for research support and productivity, they also introduce complex ethical and governance challenges related to plagiarism, fabricated references, authorship ambiguity, algorithmic bias, and the reliability of AI-generated scholarly content. Despite accelerating adoption, universities continue to face significant governance gaps in regulating responsible AI use within humanities research. This study investigates stakeholders' perceptions of ethical risks, academic integrity concerns, and institutional governance needs associated with generative AI in humanities research within UAE higher education institutions. Employing a mixed-methods descriptive-analytical design, the study combines quantitative statistical analysis (N = 275) with qualitative thematic analysis of open-ended responses to examine perceived governance deficiencies, ethical responsibility, transparency practices, and institutional preparedness. The findings reveal high levels of concern regarding plagiarism, hallucinated references, weakened research originality, and the absence of clear institutional policies governing AI-assisted academic work. The results further demonstrate significant positive relationships between governance awareness, ethical responsibility, and concerns related to academic integrity and epistemic reliability. Qualitative findings reinforce the perceived need for transparent institutional regulations, AI literacy development, human oversight mechanisms, and standardized ethical guidelines. A central finding is the identification of a governance gap: participants report strong awareness of AI-related risks while perceiving only moderate institutional preparedness to address them. The study contributes to responsible AI governance literature by (a) extending it to humanities-specific contexts, (b) identifying the awareness-preparedness governance gap within UAE higher education, and (c) proposing the Responsible Governance Model for Generative AI in Humanities Research — an eight-dimension institutional framework, presented as a proposal grounded in stakeholder perceptions, balancing technological innovation with academic integrity.
Keywords: Generative AI, Responsible AI Governance, Academic Integrity, Humanities Research, Higher Education Governance, Digital Humanities, Institutional Governance, UAE Higher Education

Mohamad Abdullah AlSaied, Youssef Hmito2, Maryam AlNuaimi, Hiam Ibrahim, Jamila Alderei

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.41.55

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Child-Soldiers, Large Shadows: The Cycle of Cruelty in Kourouma's West Africa

Abstract
This study examines the harrowing intersection of the cycle of cruelty and the large shadows of child- soldiering in Ahmadou Kourouma's seminal work, Allah n'est pas obligé. Set against the backdrop of the brutal civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the chronicle follows Birahima, a child soldier who navigates a landscape defined by the total collapse of traditional moral and familial structures. The research explores how the protagonist and his peers transition from victims of war to perpetrators of extreme violence. It argues that this cruelty is not an inherent trait but a survival mechanism fueled by the indoctrination of warlords and the desensitization caused by constant exposure to atrocities. In the fictional universe of Kourouma, the figure of the child soldier functions not as an aberration of nature but as a symptomatic product of political and moral collapse. The apparent "cruelty" of the child is neither innate nor psychologically autonomous; rather, it is a refracted manifestation of a failed adult order structured by corruption, civil war, and postcolonial disillusionment. By dismantling the sentimental construction of childhood as an inviolable realm of innocence, Kourouma exposes what may be termed the ontological dispossession of an entire generation. In Allah n'est pas obligé, the child narrator's fragmented syntax, dark humor, and oscillation between naivety and brutality dramatize a subjectivity forged in violence. The narrative voice resists stable moral categorization, thereby destabilizing binary oppositions between victim and perpetrator. The child soldier emerges as a hybrid figure—at once minor and executioner—whose lethal agency coexists with profound vulnerability. This paradox compels the reader into an ethically uncomfortable terrain where responsibility is displaced upward, toward the political structures and adult actors who orchestrate the conditions of war. Kourouma's aesthetic strategy thus operates as an indictment: the tragedy resides less in corrupted childhood than in corrupted adulthood. In revealing how warfare annihilates not only lives but the very possibility of childhood itself, Kourouma reframes the child soldier as the living testimony of a society that has forfeited its moral legitimacy and, with it, its future. Keywords: Cruelty, Child-soldiering, Socio-political disintegration, Kourouma

Akinkorede Somana Adisa, Oluwagbeminiyi Bamisaye, Shuaib Muritala Adewale, Chidi Paul Orji

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.56.66

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Inspection Quality in Urban Party Governance: The Case of Ho Chi Minh City

Abstract
In modern governance, power control and accountability are core requirements. The study clarifies that the inspection work of Party Committees' Inspection Commissions is not merely a technical or professional activity but constitutes an internal power-control institution that occupies a central position under the conditions of a ruling party. Based on an institutional approach and a case study of Ho Chi Minh City, the article conceptualizes the "quality of inspection work" as a composite construct comprising four fundamental dimensions: institutional framework, organizational capacity, operational performance, and outcomes and impacts. A key finding is that quality cannot be equated with the number of inspections conducted or cases handled; rather, it should be assessed through the interrelationship among these four dimensions and their capacity to generate substantive impacts on power control, the maintenance of Party discipline, and the consolidation of political trust. In the context of urban governance, as exemplified by Ho Chi Minh City, inspection work increasingly serves as a compensatory mechanism for the relative decline of certain traditional oversight channels, while adapting to modern governance requirements in a more proactive, professional, and data-driven manner. The article's main contribution lies in enriching the theoretical foundation of power control within a ruling-party governance model and in developing a systematic evaluation framework comprising four groups of criteria corresponding to the four dimensions, with illustrative indicators and data sources. This framework can serve as an analytical tool and practical reference for localities, particularly large urban areas implementing urban governance models, and for future empirical research.
Keywords: Inspection work, Party Committees' Inspection Commissions, Ho Chi Minh City, Urban government model, Power control, Vietnam

Loi Pham Ngoc

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.67.84

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'She dey studio; Dem dey for road': Locative Constructions in Radio Discourse of Nigerian Pidgin Varieties

Abstract
This study investigates locative constructions in live radio discourse from the Warri and Lagos Nigerian Pidgin (NP) varieties using a corpus-based, mixed-methods, descriptive design. The dataset comprises 42 hours of spontaneous radio broadcasts (21 hours per region). The study integrates M.A.K. Halliday's Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) and Adele Goldberg's Construction Grammar (CxG) to account for both the functional realisation and constructional patterning of locative meaning, further framed by the typological Basic Locative Construction (BLC). Data are analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Frequency distribution of NP spatial prepositions shows that for occurs 820 times (36.6%), followed by of (466; 20.8%) and to (189; 8.43%), highlighting the grammatical centrality and multifunctionality of for in NP discourse. Focusing on locative constructions built on the stative/existential verb dey, distributional analysis reveals regional variation. Lagos NP strongly favours the bare locative construction (NP + dey + LOC; e.g., she dey studio), accounting for 57 of 75 tokens (76%), whereas Warri NP exhibits greater constructional diversity: 24 of 66 tokens (36.4%) are bare dey forms and 18 (27.3%) are dey for (NP + dey + for + LOC; e.g., dem dey for road), alongside prepositionally stacked forms (dey for inside, dey inside, dey ontop, dey on). A chi-square test on the collapsed bare-vs-marked construction contrast confirms that the regional distributional difference is statistically significant (χ² = 22.55, df = 1, p < 0.001). The findings indicate that, while both varieties share a common locative strategy anchored on dey, Warri NP shows higher productivity of prepositionally marked and stacked constructions — a difference of constructional entrenchment and productivity rather than structural divergence. The study contributes to descriptive Pidgin linguistics, corpus-based variation studies, and theoretical discussion of microvariation in contact languages.
Keywords: Nigerian Pidgin, Locative constructions, Radio discourse, Corpus linguistics, Construction grammar, Regional variation

Damilola Oyeyipo, Adebola Adebileje

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.85.98

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Sharia–Legal Science Integration in Indonesian Islamic Universities: Practices, Challenges, and Implications

Abstract
To meet rising demand for graduates grounded in both Islamic law and modern national legal systems, Indonesian Islamic universities have begun to treat the integration of Sharia and legal studies as a strategic mission. This study examines how this integration has been conceived and pursued, identifies the difficulties encountered in the process, and discusses its implications for governance and curriculum planning in higher Islamic education. Using a qualitative multi-case design, data were gathered through in-depth interviews with university leaders and professors, document analysis of curricula and institutional policies, and non-participant observation at teaching sites. Thematic analysis was used to organize recurring patterns and institutional narratives. The findings show that integration is expressed mainly through collaborative teaching models that combine national law and Sharia studies within a single degree program. The process nevertheless faces significant challenges, including epistemological tensions between normative and positive law, a shortage of interdisciplinary expertise among staff, and structural constraints imposed by national higher-education regulations. The case study also reveals that effective integration heightens graduates' relevance, strengthens institutional identity, and supports the growth of Islamic legal scholarship that is contextually aware and self- reflexive. This study contributes to the literature on knowledge integration in Islamic higher education by presenting grounded findings and practical implications for curriculum reform and institutional policy in Indonesian Islamic universities.
Keywords: Curriculum Integration, Islamic Higher Education, Legal Science, Sharia Education

Muhammad Arsad Nasution, Hasiah, Rosnani Siregar, Maulana Arafat Lubis

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.99.116

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Logos of Selected Nigerian Pentecostal Churches: A Semiotic Study

Abstract
This study conducts a semiotic analysis of selected logos of Nigerian Pentecostal churches with the aim of uncovering the visual elements that project Christian faith. Guided by Kress and van Leeuwen's (2006) Visual Grammar as the theoretical framework and employing a qualitative research design, twelve logos of Pentecostal churches affiliated with the Christian Association of Nigeria were purposively selected from their official websites. The analysis explores both the representational and compositional meanings embedded in the logos. Findings revealed that Pentecostal church logos incorporate visual elements symbolizing strength, wisdom, power, purity, holiness, love, communion, crucifixion, and the propagation of the gospel. These semiotic resources function not merely as decorative features but as communicative instruments that articulate the churches' doctrinal commitments and spiritual identity. The study concluded that the use of faith-based visual elements in Pentecostal church logos demonstrates thematic prominence, symbolic relevance, and cultural significance within the Nigerian religious context. Based on these findings, the research recommends the intentional incorporation of faith-based semiotic resources in church logos as a vital instrument for projecting the mandate, doctrines, principles, and practices of the church.
Keywords: Logos, Christian Association of Nigeria, Visual elements, Visual grammar

Michael Mofeoluwa Oladipo, Gift Ngozi Okata, Geraldine Erhieyovwe Akpere, Chibuzo Onunkwo

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.117.133

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Herdsmen–Farmers Violence: Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Livelihood Recovery in Nigeria

Abstract
Existing scholarship on violent conflicts between cattle herders and rural farmers has largely focused on the causes of such conflict, including weapon proliferation, porous borders, and state complicity, as well as on its immediate and post-violent effects. Limited attention has been paid to the effects of post- conflict reconstruction (PCR) on the livelihood recovery of the affected population. Post-conflict reconstruction encompasses the processes and strategies aimed at transforming post-conflict communities toward sustainable peace by addressing the relational, structural, economic, and social challenges encountered during and after conflicts. Drawing on qualitative data from thirty-five purposively and snowball-selected participants, this study examined the PCR interventions implemented by the government and other stakeholders in a community in South-Eastern Nigeria affected by herders–farmers conflict. The analysis focused on four dimensions of PCR: security; justice and reconciliation; social and economic well-being; and governance and participation. The findings reveal a pronounced asymmetry in reconstruction: although PCR interventions contributed to improved security and, to a limited extent, relief assistance, significant gaps remain in ensuring justice, rebuilding livelihoods, restoring trust, and enabling genuine community participation. This imbalance — prioritizing security while neglecting justice, reconciliation, and sustainable livelihood recovery — helps explain the persistence of adversarial relations and the failure of interventions to translate into durable recovery. The study underscores the need for more inclusive, context-sensitive, and sustainable post-conflict reconstruction strategies — spanning all four dimensions — to enhance livelihood recovery and prevent the recurrence of protracted conflicts in rural communities.
Keywords: Post-conflict reconstruction, Livelihood recovery, Herders, Farmers, Conflict, Security

Charity N. Onyishi, Henry I. Egboka, Obetta Angela Ebere

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.134.159

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Transforming Infrastructure Development after Crises: Agile Project Management Perspectives

Abstract
The large-scale destruction of infrastructure facilities during military events in Ukraine has a destructive effect on the processes of social development. During the recovery period, the main attention should be focused on the active reconstruction of cities on the basis of agile management and sustainable growth. The purpose of the research is to analyze the key concepts of agile project management for infrastructure development in post-crisis conditions and to critically assess the transferability of these concepts—originally developed for software—to physical infrastructure reconstruction. The study identifies potential risks for the urban environment development strategy caused by infrastructure destruction, quantified at 137 billion USD in direct losses as of the end of 2024. The features of the flexible infrastructure project management system have been examined, including iterativeness, incrementality, communication and collaboration, adaptation to change, and focus on results. Key approaches to agile project management are considered—in particular, Scrum, Kanban, Lean development, and scaling frameworks such as SAFe. Unlike purely conceptual treatments, this paper explicitly addresses the documented frictions of applying agile to physical infrastructure—physical dependencies, safety regulation, and procurement constraints—and argues that agile in infrastructure restoration should be understood as an approach that differentiates large-scale projects into short iterations while combining traditional elements with innovative methods for greater flexibility and transparency. The paper concludes with practical tools and a seven-principle framework applicable to post-crisis reconstruction in Ukraine.
Keywords: Agile project management, Infrastructure, Sustainable development, Reconstruction, Innovation, Incrementality, Adaptation, Critical infrastructure

Hanna Kalach, Oleksii Tonkykh, Myroslava Maslyak, Anastasiia Punda, Ruslan Lavlinskyy

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.160.170

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Oral Histories and the Adaptive Functions of Trauma Narratives in Postwar Southeastern Nigeria, 1970–1980s

Abstract
This qualitative historical study examines the evolutionary functions of trauma narratives as adaptive forms of imaginative culture in Southeast Nigeria in the aftermath of the Nigerian-Biafran War (1967– 1970). In the wake of the federal government's "no victor, no vanquished" policy — which fostered official silence around wartime suffering — survivors and their descendants relied on oral storytelling to process collective trauma and sustain cultural identity. Drawing on evolutionary approaches to imaginative culture, the study argues that these narratives functioned as adaptive mechanisms that facilitated collective sensemaking, reinforced kin-based cohesion, supported emotional regulation, transmitted resilience across generations, and maintained vigilance under conditions of perceived marginalization. The study draws on 28 oral history interviews and four focus group discussions involving 48 participants across Anambra, Imo, Enugu, and Ebonyi States. Thematic analysis identified recurring motifs of starvation and foraging, displacement and loss, survival ingenuity, religious and syncretic interpretations of suffering, and gendered dimensions of memory. These narratives consistently reframed deprivation and dislocation into structured accounts emphasizing agency, moral endurance, and communal solidarity. They are interpreted through gene–culture coevolution, coalitional psychology, and costly signaling, highlighting storytelling as a functional adaptive system in post-conflict recovery. Findings show that vernacular oral traditions filled institutional voids left by formal reconciliation policies, enabling psychological and social recovery. Situated within global comparative contexts such as Holocaust memory, post-genocide Rwanda, and post-World War II Europe, the Southeast Nigerian case demonstrates both shared and distinctive features of trauma narration. The study contributes a non-Western perspective to evolutionary studies of imaginative culture and advances understanding of narrative adaptation in post-conflict societies.
Keywords: Nigerian-Biafran War, Trauma narratives, Oral history, Imaginative culture, Collective Memory

Obinna U. Muoh, Timothy Chibuike Anyanwu

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.171.188

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Rape, Words, and Power: Corpus Stylistics of Victimhood in Nigerian Newspapers

Abstract
This study examines how Nigerian newspapers linguistically construct rape narratives and victim identities through a Corpus-Assisted Critical Stylistics (CACS) framework. It addresses the gap in large-scale, data-driven analyses of rape reportage in African media by integrating Corpus Linguistics with Critical Stylistics, Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis, and Framing Theory. Using a corpus of 893 newspaper articles (2017–2025), the study employs keyword and collocation analyses in AntConc to identify patterns of prioritisation, presupposition, and epistemic hedging. The findings reveal that rape reportage foregrounds emotive narratives, moral evaluations, and vulnerable child victims, while sexual assault reportage emphasises institutional and legal discourse. Across both corpora, a hierarchical model of victimhood emerges, privileging young female children as "perfect victims" while marginalising adult women and male survivors. Crucially, the study shows that the epistemic marker allegedly functions not merely as a legal safeguard but as an ideological tool that distributes doubt unevenly, binding most strongly to explicit sexual acts and to the most vulnerable victim categories, thereby undermining victim credibility precisely where claims are most serious. These patterns are consistent with the reproduction of rape myths and with the obscuring of structural explanations of sexual violence. The study concludes that media discourse plays a critical role in sustaining gendered inequalities and recommends the adoption of more inclusive, structurally informed, and ethically responsible reporting practices.
Keywords: Rape narratives, Corpus linguistics, Critical stylistics, Media framing, Victim hierarchy, Epistemic hedging

Chisom Paula Ogamba, Olubunmi Idowu, Chibuzo Onunkwo, Nwaugo Goodseed Ochulor

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.189.207

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Examining Ethical Behaviour of Social Work Educators in Classroom Settings: Key Considerations for Students

Abstract
Ethical behaviour within the educational realm, particularly among social work educators, plays a pivotal role in shaping the experiences and professional development of students. This study examined the ethical behaviour of social work educators in classroom settings, including the ethical dilemmas they encounter, the support and resources available to them, and students' feedback on their ethical conduct. In-depth interviews were used to collect data from 12 participants (four social work educators and eight social work students). The findings showed that social work educators generally maintained ethical standards but were confronted with educator–student relationship challenges and dilemmas. Some participants experienced pressures arising from family ties and closeness with students, which undermined firmness, integrity, and accountability. There is a need for social work educators to ensure healthy boundaries in teacher–student relationships, involving the fair and unbiased treatment of students, nurturing their diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment.
Keywords: Social work educators, Ethical behaviour and dilemmas, Classroom setting, Educator– student relationships, Nigeria

Chukwuma Felix Ugwu, Ernest Onyemaechi Ekwulu

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.208.227

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Linguistic Manifestations of Autism as Specific Language Impairment: A Qualitative Study of Two Nigerian Children

Abstract
This study investigates autism as a form of specific language impairment (SLI). The main objective is to examine language use in two autistic children, specifically the manifestations in their expressive (production) and receptive (comprehension) language skills. Adopting a phenomenological research design, the study collected data through participant observation and unstructured interviews with two purposively selected autistic children, supported by two research assistants. Findings reveal low levels of expressive language ability in the participants, characterised by poor oral motor skills that manifest in dysarthria, substitution, and omission. The participants also demonstrated deficits in receptive language (comprehension), particularly with complex materials. The study recommends further investigation into other areas of linguistics in autistic individuals and calls for intervention strategies led by government and other stakeholders.
Keywords: Autism, Behaviour Interference Theory, Complex Information Processing Disorder Model, Language disorder, Specific language impairment

Juliana Ginika Mamah, Jacinta Ukamaka Eze

https://doi.org/10. 62250/nsuk.2026.34.2.228.24

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