Dr Mohammad Reyaz is an assistant professor (Stage-II) at the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Aliah University, Kolkata, India. He was the Officiating Head of the Department from November 2019 to December 2021.

Dr Reyaz was a 2021 fellow of the Study of the US Institutes (SUSIs) for Scholars on Religious Pluralism hosted at Seattle University. He has done an ICSSR-IMPRESS sponsored project on ‘Stakes in India’s Soft Power: A Case Study of Afghanistan.’ He was in Afghanistan in August-September 2019 doing fieldwork for this project. His first trip to Afghanistan was in 2014.

Besides MA in Convergent Journalism from AJK-MCRC, Jamia, Dr Reyaz has also done MPhil and Ph.D. in International Studies from MMA Jauhar Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, with a specialization on Central Asia. His Ph.D. dissertation was on ‘Civil society and the role of media in Central Asia.’

He has presented papers in seminars and workshops in India, Germany,  England, Turkey, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, etc.  Dr Reyaz is a former journalist and contributes articles to different media. His research articles and book chapters have been published in SAGE, Oxford, Routledge, Springer, and Intellect, among others. 

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Education

PhD in International Studies                                                September 2012 — March  2019

MMA Jauhar Academy of International Studies, Jamia Millia Islamia

 Thesis – Civil Society and the Role of Media in Central Asia

M. Phil. in International Studies                                                  August 2010 — July 2012

MMA Jauhar Academy of International Studies, JMI

MA in Convergent Journalism                                                       August 2008 — July 2010

AJK-Mass Communication Research centre, JMI

BA (Hon) in English                                                                       August 2005 — July 2008

Jamia Millia Islamia

Languages known:

• Proficient in reading, writing and speaking – English and Hindi
• Basic Level – Urdu and Bengali
• Certificate - Persian and Russian

SHORT TERM COURSES

• Fifth International ILEM Summer School, Istanbul, Turkey on ‘Urban Crises and Trends in the Muslim World’ during 9-14 July, 2018.

• Six weeks long ‘Seminar Course’ on ‘State Building in Afghanistan’ conducted at the Afghan Studies Center in New Delhi in 2013 by Professor Rani Mullen of Government at the College of William and Mary, who was then a visiting faculty on Fulbright-Nehru Senior Fellowship.

• Workshop on ‘Multimedia Storytelling’ (February 2013-April 2013) organised by Washington DC based International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ).

• Summer School on ‘Muslims in the West’ (August 2010) at Universität Erfurt, Germany (DAAD Sponsored).

Teaching Experience

Total Experience (in January 2023): 7+ Years

Current Position: Assitant Professor, Aliah University, Kolkata (June 2016 onwards)

Industrial Experience

Field of Specialization

Media Studies, Journalism, New Media, International Communication and Peace Journalism

Courses Taught/Teaching

1. Print Journalism

2. New media,

3. International Communication and Peace Journalism,

4. Media Laws and Ethics,

5. Contemporary India and the World

Research Area

• Public Sphere in Muslim societies, with a special focus on India, Eurasia and West Asia.

• Politics: International-relations; in domestic politics, special focus on Minority/Muslim (appeasement).

• Social – Integration of marginalized people, particularly Dalits and minorities.

• Other subjects of interests include terrorism, socio-political issues, civil society, and media.

Experience

​​​​

• Visiting Scholar (August-September 2019)

Afghanistan Centre at Kabul University (ACKU), Kabul

• Senior Adjunct Researcher

Asia in Global Affairs, Kolkata

• Administrative Experiences
  • Head (Officiating) of the JMC Dept from November 2019 – December 2021
  • Founding Convener of interdisciplinary ‘Centre of Research and Analysis’ of Aliah University
  • Convener of Aliah University Publication Committee
  • Chairperson of Department Research Committee (DRC)
  • Chairperson of the Department Purchase Committee
  • Member of the Purchase Committees of the Geography and History Departments

• Journalist
  • Previously Worked in Media for Five years (2010-2015)
  • Assistant Editor of TwoCircles.net (October 2012-December 2015)
  • Editorial Researcher at ITV Pvt Ltd (June 2010-March 2012)
  • Reported on elections of Afghanistan, India, Kyrgyzstan, etc.
  • By-lines in Al Jazeera, the Wire, DailyO, DNA, Scroll, HuffingtonPost, The Hoot, Tehelka, TwoCircles.net, etc.

Journal Papers Published

Books Published

Book Chapters:

International

1. Reyaz, M. et.al. (2023). ‘Muslims between Citizenship and Media Bias: Insights from Anti-CAA Protest Sites,’ in Gorky Chakraborty (ed.) Citizenship in Contemporary Times: The Indian Context (pp. 183-200), New Delhi: Routledge. [ISBN: 978-1-032-34712-7].

2. Islam, Nazmul Md., and Reyaz, Mohammad (2022). ‘Friend, Foe or Ally: The Post-Taliban 2.0 India’s Dilemma and Strategic Foreign Policy Logic Towards Afghanistan.’ In The Second Taliban Era in Afghanistan: Identifying Risks and Opportunities, edited by Osama Kubbar, Merve Seren and Rashid Hammad al-Naemi. Istanbul: Orion. [ISBN: 9786257294904].

3. Reyaz, M. (2021). New Media, Identity and Minorities: The Role of Internet in Mainstreaming of Muslims in India. In Inhabiting Cyberspace in India: Theory, Perspectives, and Challenges, edited by Simi Malhotra, Kanika Sharma, & Sakshi Dogra, pp. 57-68. Singapore: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-9934-7_6. [ISBN: 978-981-15-9933-0].

4. Reyaz, M. (2019). Hindutva’s Reach Out to Muslims in 2014 Elections: A Historical Analysis. In The Algebra of Warfare-Welfare: A Long View of India’s 2014 Elections, edited by Irfan Ahmad & Pralay Kanungo, pp. 242-270. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. [ISBN: 9780199489626].

National

1. Reyaz, M. (2022). Muslims and Secularism. In Unmasking Indian Secularism: Why We Need a New Hindu Muslim Deal, edited by Hasan Suroor, pp. 130-133. New Delhi: Rupa Publications India. [ISBN: 978-93-5520-406-6].

2. Reyaz, M. (2017). Globalisation of Mediascape: A Study of Central Asia and India. In Central Asia and South Asia: Economic, Developmental and Socio-Cultural Linkages, edited by Rashmi Doraiswamy, pp. 577-598. New Delhi: Manak Publications.  [ISBN - 978-93-7831-442-1].

3. Reyaz, M. (2014).Post-Soviet Media in Central Asia: With Special Focus on Coverage of Presidential elections of Kyrgyzstan. In Image of the Region in Eurasian Studies, edited by Suchandana Chatterjee, pp. 135-153. New Delhi: KW Publishers. [ISBN-10: 9383649232].

Awards

• SUSI Fellow 2021: Study of the US Institutes (SUSIs) for Scholars on Religious Pluralism hosted at Seattle University.
• Maulana Azad National Fellowship (April 2011-March 2016).
• National Eligibility  Test (NET) in Journalism and Mass Communication in June 2012.
• German Academic Exchange (DAAD) to attend 2-weeks summer school in Germany in August 2010. 

Project Works

• Research Project (Completed)

ICSSR-IMPRESS sponsored Project on ‘Stakes of India’s Soft Power: Case Study of Afghanistan’ (2019-2020)

Invited Lectures

• Invited as a Speaker in the Panel on "Mediagraphy of Climate Change" at One Day Dialogue Programme on " Development, Climate, Gender and New Geographies of Migration," organised by Mahanirban Calcutta Research Group (CRG) in collaboration with Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung-South Asia. Centre for Urban Economic Studies, University of Calcutta, on 14 July 2023.

• Invited as an Expert to participate in the 4-day multi-stakeholder consultation on South Asia: Media, Information, and Participation in Displacement and Migration Settings – How free is the media? organised online by Calcutta Research Group (CRG), DW Akademie (DWA), and the Center for International Media Assistance (CIMA) on 28 February to 2 March, 2022.

• • Online Seminar-Lecture on “Political Islam and Taliban” at a webinar organised by Shaheed Nurul Islam Mahavidyalaya, WBSU on Regime Change in Afghanistan and its Implications on 4 October 2021.

• • Online seminar-lecture on the “Changing Scenario of  Media Representation of Afghan Crisis” organised by the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Kandra Radha Kanta Kundu Mahavidyalaya, Purba Bardhaman (West Bengal), on 15 September 2021.

• • Distinguished Speaker at a National Level Webinar on “The Role of Media during Covid-19 Pandemic: Some Critical Observation” Organized by Department of Political Science, Plassey College, Mira Bazar, Plassey (Nadia), West Bengal on 9 August 2020.

• • Resource person for 2 sessions in a Short Term Course on ‘Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution’ organised by UGC-HRDC, University of Calcutta from 14  to 20 November 2018 (17 Nov):

• • Clash of Narratives: Situating Muslims amidst Chaos in Media Space
  • Media in Conflict Situations: Conflict Reporting or Peace Journalism?

• • Delivered a Guest Lecture on “India’s role in Central Asia: historical perspective, contemporary engagements and energy security” at the Silk Road Research Centre, IAATU on May 24, 2016.

Orientation/Refresher/QIP CourseAttended/Organized

Seminar/Conference/Workshop

Presented a number of papers in national and international seminars, including at Trinity College (Cambridge), ACKU, Kabul, Diplomatic Academy (Bishkek), IAAU (Bishkek), JNU & Jamia (New Delhi), Jadavpur University, Calcutta University, MAKIAS (Kolkata), Istanbul, etc.

• • Paper on “Reel Mughals: Role of Medieval Themed Films in Majoritarian Agenda Setting”  (with Dr Kaifia Ancer Laskar) in the programme of the History Section as an Online Conference Paper at the annual conference of the International Association for Media and Communication Research, IAMCR 2023, held in July 2023.

• • Presentation in an International Seminar with the theme "Updating Historical Narratives of Muslim Minority: Past, Present, and Future" organized by Department of History and Islamic Civilization, UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya on 24 September 2022.

• • Paper on “From Best Friend to Starting a Fresh? Assessing the Challenges in India’s Bilateral Relations with Afghanistan under Taliban” at a National Seminar on India’s Foreign Policy at 75: Issues and Challenges, organised by the Department of Political Science, Janki Devi Memorial College, University of Delhi on 6-7 April 2022.

• • Paper entitled “Mapping the (Mis)representations of Afghans in Bollywood/Indian Films” at an International Virtual Colloquium on Afghanistan in Popular Culture organised by the University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh on 30-31 October 2021.

• • Paper on “Role of Soft Power in the Rise of Asian Powerhouses:  India in Afghanistan” at International Conference on The Rise of Asian Geopolitics and Terrorism at the Threshold organised by ANKASAM, Ankara on dates 22-23 May 2021.

• • Paper on “Kolkata: Neighbours ‘Living Together Separately’” at the International Seminar on Megacities: Conviviality and its Limits at Jadavpur University, Kolkata on 26 to 28 February, 2020.

• • Paper on “Afghans in Indian Films: From Kabuliwala to Kesari” at an International seminar organized at Afghanistan Center at Kabul University (ACKU), Kabul on Afghanistan Studies: Independence, More Independence, and Beyond Independence on 17-18 August 2019.

• • Paper on “Rethinking Cultural Heritage: Memories of Muslim Minorities, Living in Secular Democracy” at the 5^thInternational ILEM Summer School, Istanbul, Turkey during 9-14 July, 2018.

• • Paper on “Technology, Media and Minority: The Role of Internet in Mainstreaming of Muslims in India” at Negotiating Technologies, a MUSA Workshop organised in collaboration with Centre d'Études de l'Inde et de l'Asie du Sud (Centre for South Asian Studies), Paris & Centre of South Asian Studies, Cambridge on October 14-15, 2016.

• • Paper on “Central Asian Media Industry: A Study of Entrepreneurial Challenges” at Eurasian Conference of Business and Economics IV, IAATU, Bishkek on May 19, 2016.

• • Paper on “BJP’s Muslims: The Muslim Reach Out By Hindutva in the 2014 Elections” at EECURI Network Conference at Sariska Fort Resort on January 18-19, 2016.

• • Paper on “Representation of Char Inhabitants of Lower Assam in Press: An Analysis” at National Seminar at Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research, JMI on March 3, 2016.

• • Paper on “Legacy on Humour and Satire in West and Central Asian Societies” at the National Conference at AIS, JMI on March 11, 2015.

• • Presentation on “Role of (New) Media in the Presidential Election of Afghanistan” at a Workshop on Agenda for Social Science Research in Afghanistan jointly organised by SAI, Heidelberg University and Jamia Millia Islamia on April 24, 2014.

• • Paper on “Glocalisation and Public Sphere: View from South” at an International Studies Congress in JNU in December, 2013.

• • Paper on “Globalisation of Mediascape: A Study of Central Asia and India” at a national seminar in JMI in March, 2013.

• • Paper on “Muslim Migration to Assam in Context to Current Ethnic Tension” at Gauhati University in February, 2013.

• • Paper on “Post-Soviet Media in Central Asia: Focus on coverage of Kyrgyz Presidential elections” at MAKAIAS, Kolkata in August, 2012.

• • Paper on “Internet, Identity and Minority Voices” in a seminar at JMI in March, 2012.