This study examines the integration of halal tourism with global sustainability frameworks, particularly the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Using PRISMA methodology, we analyzed 62 peer-reviewed publications from 2019 to 2025, employing bibliometric analysis and structural topic modeling to map research trends in this rapidly expanding field. Three distinct research domains emerged: halal tourism and sustainability integration, SDG alignment, and technology systems. However, analysis revealed field fragmentation, with researchers specializing in individual domains rather than developing comprehensive approaches that bridge religious compliance, environmental responsibility, and technological innovation. This specialization—where scholars focus exclusively on either religious, sustainability, or technological dimensions—creates missed opportunities for integrated sustainable halal tourism implementation. The study’s theoretical contribution lies in developing an integrated conceptual framework connecting previously fragmented research areas, demonstrating how Islamic environmental stewardship principles can enhance rather than constrain sustainability initiatives. This framework transcends the conventional dichotomy between religious requirements and environmental goals. Practically, findings provide actionable guidance: policymakers should develop coordinated frameworks addressing infrastructure challenges; tourism operators can implement certification systems signaling both halal compliance and sustainability commitments; financial institutions can leverage Sharia-compliant instruments supporting sustainable tourism development. The research highlights halal tourism’s significant potential to contribute meaningfully to global sustainability objectives while preserving religious authenticity. Future research should prioritize interdisciplinary studies integrating technological innovations with religious compliance and expand geographical coverage beyond Southeast Asia.

While artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed educational contexts through automated feedback generation, critical fragmentation exists in understanding its sustained impact on student learning trajectories, particularly regarding emotion recognition technologies in mobile STEM education. This systematic review investigates AI-driven adaptive learning systems in mobile education, examining personalization strategies, effectiveness measures, and user interaction patterns to establish foundations for emotion-aware educational technologies. A systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted across major academic databases, yielding 39 eligible studies from 2015–2025. Bibliometric analysis using R Studio’s bibliometric package examined research patterns, collaboration networks, and thematic evolution. Network analysis of key term co-occurrences and cluster analysis identified conceptual relationships and structural hierarchies within the research domain. The field demonstrates exponential growth with a 32.75% annual increase in research output, particularly since 2022. Mobile learning emerged as the dominant conceptual hub (betweenness centrality: 197.446), with AI and personalized learning serving as critical connectors between research domains. Three primary themes were identified: personalization strategies establishing sophisticated frameworks for learner modeling and context-aware adaptation; effectiveness measures revealing consistent improvements in academic performance and engagement across STEM contexts; and user interaction patterns exposing both transformative potential and challenges concerning data privacy and usability considerations. This study provides the first comprehensive systematic mapping of AI-driven mobile learning through the lens of emotion recognition potential, revealing substantial gaps in longitudinal impact assessment and theoretical integration. Findings advance understanding of how the Adaptive Feedback Regulation Framework can be enhanced through emotion-aware technologies, offering practical insights for implementing sophisticated personalization strategies. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies examining sustained impact, crosscultural acceptance patterns, and ethical implications of emotion recognition in educational contexts.

A scarce literature guides the examination of FinTech adoption on SMEs' sustainable performance via the mediation of green finance on green innovation, with the moderating effect of ESGTL and green innovation strategy. Data were collected from 250 SME managers and owners from Pakistan and Malaysia for comparative perspectives, and CB-SEM was applied for data analysis. Results revealed FA's significant effect on SMEs' SP in both countries. GF partially mediates the effect of FA on GI in Malaysia, whereas complete mediation prevails between the constructs in Pakistan. GI fully mediates the effect of GF and SP in both countries. Higher involvement in green innovation strategy moderates the increase in the changes to focus on green finance practices. The higher commitment to ESGTL increases the influence of green financing on green innovation applications in both countries. Lastly, ESGTL improves green innovation's role in attaining sustainable performance for Malaysian SMEs compared to Pakistan. Findings contribute to the enduring literature on fintech and the sustainable performance of SME firms from the perspective of growing economies. Furthermore, it confirms the importance of FA, GF, and GI in enhancing the SP of SME firms, and in due course, confirms the sustainable financial advancement of a country.

This study examines how ecotourism experiences influence destination image by proposing and empirically testing an integrated "experience → engagement → co-creation → image" model, grounded in the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework and informed by theories of experience economy and service-dominant logic. Using survey data from 770 ecotourists, we employed confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and bootstrap mediation tests to assess both direct and mediated pathways. The results reveal that sensory, situational, and perceptual dimensions of the ecotourism experience evoke tourist engagement; the experience also directly contributes to value co-creation, while engagement further enhances co-creative behaviors. Engagement and value co-creation sequentially mediate the effect of experience on destination image, with co-creation emerging as the dominant driver of the destination image. These findings reconceptualize destination image as a socially co-constructed outcome and offer actionable insights for destination managers to design immersive experiences and facilitate co-creation platforms that advance sustainable branding.

Undocumented migrants are exposed to multiple stressors before, during and after migration, yet the psychological and social consequences of irregular migration for Pakistani labor migrants in Southern Europe remain poorly understood. This study explores how undocumented Pakistani migrants in Italy experience and interprets the mental health and social impacts of living with irregular legal status. A qualitative design was adopted. Twenty-five undocumented Pakistani migrants residing in Bari, Southern Italy, participated in in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted in Urdu and Punjabi. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis, informed by trauma, acculturation stress, minority stress and social capital perspectives. Four interrelated themes were identified: (1) trauma and ongoing insecurity linked to hazardous migration journeys, fear of arrest, detention or deportation, and chronic legal uncertainty; (2) psychological distress and identity disruption, including anxiety, depressive symptoms, loneliness and loss of valued social roles; (3) precarious work, discrimination and social exclusion, characterized by labor exploitation, everyday racism and barriers to language learning, healthcare and welfare services; and (4) resilience and coping, drawing on religious faith, transnational family ties, co-ethnic networks and support from local organizations. The findings show how irregular legal status acts as a persistent social determinant of mental health, generating acute and chronic forms of psychological distress. The study highlights the need for trauma-aware and culturally sensitive mental health and social care responses, robust linguistic and social integration programs, and policy measures that reduce legal uncertainty and support the social inclusion of irregular migrants in Italy.