Research Clusters

Interdisciplinary Research Clusters at MSJ
Reimagining Research. Reframing Media Futures

 

Introduction

The Department of Media Studies and Journalism (MSJ) at the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh brings together a community of scholars, journalists, and creators committed to understanding and shaping the media world of today and tomorrow. To strengthen our research culture, create synergies across specializations, and enhance our collective visibility, MSJ introduces five interdisciplinary research clusters.

These clusters are designed to:

  • Foster collaborative research among faculty and students.
  • Align departmental expertise with national and global priorities.
  • Encourage innovation at the intersections of media, society, and technology.
  • Position MSJ as a leading center of media research and creative practice in Bangladesh and beyond

By organizing our faculty into focused yet overlapping clusters, we aim to deepen research specialization, enhance external partnerships, and amplify the department’s public and scholarly image. These clusters will not only strengthen our publications, creative outputs, and projects but also pave the way for funded research, policy collaborations, and international recognition.

 

MSJ Research Clusters 2025

 

SL Cluster Name Core Focus Objectives Representative Research Areas
01

Civic Media & Data Sense

 Media literacy, journalism innovation, data, and digital media analysis
  • Promote civic engagement through fact-based journalism
  • Explore misinformation, disinformation, and media ethics
  • Advance data-driven and AI-informed journalism practices
 Media literacy, data journalism, AI in newsrooms, digital misinformation, civic participation, media accountability
02 PR & DevCom Nexus Strategic communication, social change, and public engagement
  • Strengthen applied communication research for development
  • Explore PR strategies for public awareness and social mobilization
  • Bridge academic and professional practices in advocacy and corporate communication
 Public relations, development campaigns, strategic communication, CSR, risk communication, NGO media practices
03 Screen Cultures & Story Worlds Film, visual narratives, and digital storytelling
  • Investigate the aesthetics and politics of film and screen media
  • Encourage experimental storytelling through emerging media platforms
  • Build a creative hub for cinematic and digital narratives
 Film theory, documentary practices, OTT cultures, screenwriting, visual storytelling, transmedia narratives
04 Media Future Lab AI, automation, and innovation in communication
  • Examine emerging technologies shaping media production and consumption
  • Foster interdisciplinary inquiry into AI’s impact on culture and communication
  • Encourage innovation and prototyping of future media tools
 AI in media, algorithmic culture, automation in journalism, immersive media, creative technologies
05 Media Polis Department’s theoretical core; a space for critical reflection on how media shapes collective imagination, social structures, and cultural meanings. It engages with questions of power, representation, and globalization.   Media theory, cultural studies, postcolonial media, and critical media analysis.

 

Why Research Clusters Matter

 

The MSJ Research Clusters mark a strategic step toward a more research-intensive department. By clustering expertise and fostering collaboration, we aim to:

  • Create visibility and impact through focused academic and creative outputs.
  • Encourage mentorship and student involvement in faculty research.
  • Attract partnerships with local and international institutions.
  • Secure research funding through thematic projects and consortiums.
  • Position MSJ as a thought leader in critical, creative, and technological approaches to media.

These clusters are not boundaries—they are living ecosystems of ideas, creativity, and scholarship. Together, they reflect our collective aspiration to make the Department of Media Studies and Journalism a hub for innovative research, critical inquiry, and transformative storytelling.

 

Cluster Leaders and Members

 

SL Cluster Name Representative Research Areas Cluster Members Cluster Leader
01

Civic Media & Data Sense

 Media literacy, data journalism, AI in newsrooms, digital misinformation, civic participation, media accountability Din M. Sumon Rahman, PhD; Sarkar Barbaq Quarmal, PhD; Mohammad Shazzad Hossain, PhD; Mahmudun Nabi, PhD; Syeda Sadia Mehjabin; Dewan Shahnoor Alam Sourav; Tahseen Nower;  Usama Rafid Sarkar Barbaq Quarmal, PhD
02 PR & DevCom Nexus Public relations, development campaigns, strategic communication, CSR, risk communication, NGO media practices Muhammad Aminuzzaman; Mahmudun Nabi, PhD; Syeda Sadia Mehjabin;  Md. Aminul Islam; Arwin Ahmad Mitu; Tahseen Nower; Farhana Zamil Md. Aminul Islam
03 Screen Cultures & Story Worlds Film theory, documentary practices, OTT cultures, screenwriting, visual storytelling, transmedia narratives Din M. Sumon Rahman, PhD; Mohammad Shazzad Hossain, PhD; Bikash Ch. Bhowmick; A F M Moniruzzaman Shipu; Andalib Rubayat; Nibras Bin Sayed; Mrittika Kamal Mohammad Shazzad Hossain, PhD
04 Media Future Lab AI in media, algorithmic culture, automation in journalism, immersive media, creative technologies Sarkar Barbaq Quarmal, PhD; Mohammad Shazzad Hossain, PhD; A F M Moniruzzaman Shipu; Muhammad Aminuzzaman; Mahmudun Nabi, PhD; Md. Aminul Islam; Arwin Ahmad Mitu; Dewan Shahnoor Alam Sourav; Usama Rafid Mahmudun Nabi, PhD
05 Media Polis Media theory, cultural studies, postcolonial media, and critical media analysis. Din M. Sumon Rahman, PhD; Sarkar Barbaq Quarmal PhD; Bikash Ch. Bhowmick; Md. Aminul Islam; Tahseen Nower; Mrittika Kamal; Farhana Zamil Din M. Sumon Rahman, PhD