Who are you?
My name is Md Sazzadur Rahman Sihab, and I am a second year Master’s student in the Contemporary Societies programme at the University of Helsinki, in the Sociology track. I am originally from Bangladesh, where I completed my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Sociology at Khulna University. I have a strong interest in social research, especially on topics related to addiction, social inequality, and life transitions.
How did you end up at CEACG?
I have always been fascinated by how addictions, gambling, and broader social harms intersect with structural factors such as unemployment, migration and socioeconomic inequality. When I learned about CEACG’s traineeship opportunity, I felt it aligned perfectly with my academic interests and the type of research skills I want to develop. I applied hoping to learn quantitative methods in a real research environment, and I feel very fortunate to have been selected to work in a Finnish working environment.
What have you been working on during your traineeship?
My work has mainly focused on analysing survey data using Stata for a research project connected to recent system reform and gambling related harms. I have been conducting descriptive and inferential statistical analysis, assisting in drafting sections of internal reports. A large part of my learning has been developing confidence with quantitative tools, understanding the structure of large surveys, and translating statistical findings into meaningful insights.
What is the most interesting or surprising thing about this topic?
For me, there have been several surprising and eye-opening aspects. Coming from a different country, I was genuinely impressed to see how seriously gambling, addiction, and related harms are researched here, especially with such a committed team at CEACG. In Bangladesh, gambling is often taken lightly, misunderstood, or ignored altogether, so this perspective was very new to me.
Working with the dataset also showed me how widespread gambling activities are, and how easily large numbers of people can engage in them without fully recognising the risks involved. One particularly surprising observation was that when individuals were asked about potential systemic reforms, many believed no change would affect their own lives; however, when asked about changes at the societal level, they acknowledged broader impacts. That contrast fascinated and surprised me at the same time.
If you could switch places with your CEACG colleague for one day, who would you choose and why?
I would choose Mette, because she coordinates with everyone and seems to have a holistic understanding of all the different research projects happening at CEACG. I admire her ability to stay organised, support the team, and keep so many things moving forward. I also appreciate the responsibility and facilities that come with her role although I must admit, I would probably be a little scared of the workload at the same time!