Changing Role of Social Media in Muslim Countries

Project Profile

The events that followed the Arab Spring in 2011 have demonstrated the strength of social media in the digital communication sphere and the challenge they represent towards the traditional media. Well before the civil unrest in the Middle East, Pakistan witnessed the Web 2.0 as a potential political tool for public mobilisation especially during the emergency law declared in November 2007. A number of flash mobs took place during that period organised by gadget savvy Pakistani youth through SMS and Facebook. However, despite the popularity of new media and internet there is a huge digital divide within the Pakistani civil society among those who favor traditional media and those who favor the new, social media. Similarly, the fact remains that the critical study of social media, new media or internet as a part communication science discipline remains absent in academic discourse in many Pakistani universities. In order to study the role of new or social media at academic and cultural level, the Chair of Muslim Cultural & Religious History at the University of Erfurt wants to engage with the University of Peshawar and University of the Punjab in Pakistan to collaborate over a number of academic and cultural activities related to social media.

For 2014 there are four major activities planned namely, Summer School on Cyber Culture, Fall School on Politainment, Women Writers' Forum Workshop and International Symposium on Social Media in Muslim Countries.

Academic Events

Summer School: Cyber Culture

The word cyber popularly refers to the use of computers, virtual reality or the Internet. The Internet as it stands is deeply penetrating in our lives and become parts of daily routines. However, we rarely have the chances to review what the Internet actually means to us. More

Fall School: Politainment

The infotainment industry is changing the way politics & politicians are represented. In the multimedia advertising world, candidates cast themselves as celebrities and use non-traditional forms of communication to reach their audiences. More

Symposium

The symposium focuses on the rapidly changing role of digital social media and the way it is traversing not just the personal but also the socio-political lives of people. Civil unrest in the Arab world, 2009 elections in Iran & 2014's protest movement in Pakistan. More

Semi Academic Activities

Women Writers' Forum Workshop

Women Writers' Forum is a Peshawar based organisation which regularly conducts literary gatherings. Over the past two years WWF is actively engaged with the Chair of Muslim Culture & Religious History to conduct writing workshops in Pakistani languages for female students.

Internship Opportunities

Since 2012, the Chair of Muslim Culture & Religious History offers University of Erfurt students' a unique opportunity to do internships with its civil society partners in the field of socio-political and development aid.

Thesis Support Programme

Since 2012, the students in partner universities of Peshawar & Punjab University are offered to visit Erfurt in order to seek support & academic assistance for their MA or Ph.D. dissertations.

Media Reactions

Press Releases

January - April, 2014
90.000 Euro für Dialogprojekt an der Universität Erfurt (Details)

Social Media Events 2014

Social Media Project History

Events in 2013

Academic Module

Civil Society Partnership

  • Internship Programme
  • Collaboration with Women Writers' Forum

Events in 2012

​​​​​​Academic Module

Civil Society Partnership

  • Collaboration with Women Writers' Forum

Project Head

Jamal Malik
Prof. Dr. Jamal Malik
Chair of Muslim Cultural & Religious History
(Faculty of Philosophy)
Lehrgebäude 4 / room E06
+49 361 737-4111
+49 361 737-4119
jamal.malik@uni-erfurt.de
Office hours
on appointment
Profile page

Secretary

Ines Scheidt
M.A. Ines Scheidt
Verwaltungsangestellte (einschließlich Drittmittel) der Professur für Islamwissenschaft
(Faculty of Philosophy)
C18 - Lehrgebäude 4 / Raum E15
+49 361 737-4100
+49 361 737-4119
ines.scheidt@uni-erfurt.de
Office hours
Mo. 10.-12.00
Die. 14.-16.00
Mi. 09.-11.00, 14.00 -15.30
Do. 09.30-11.30, 13.30 - 15.30
Profile page

Project Coordinator

Hasnain Bokhari
Dr Hasnain Bokhari
hasnain.bokhari@uni-erfurt.de
Profile page