- I initiated the Call for Papers for a Special Issue to be published by Journal of Digital Journalism with Thomas Hanitzsch, Chair and Professor of Communication, LMU Munich, and Chair of Worlds of Journalism Study and Winston Mano Professor of Media and Communication at the University of Westminster and Founding Editor of the Journal of African Media Studies. The proposal titled “Journalism and Digital Authoritarianism: Power, Counter-Power and the Limits of Censorship has been accepted and will be announced by the DJ in October 2023
- Throughout the period I served as the Chair of the Department of Mass Communication at Qatar University, spanning from February 2022 to May 2023, I have been responsible for overseeing various aspects of academic development. One of my key roles involves heading the “Program Restructuring and Development Committee”, which consists of 17 esteemed members from both local and international academia, as well as the media industry. The committee has successfully formulated a comprehensive study plan that encompasses two distinct programs: journalism and digital media, and strategic communication. This well-structured plan lays the foundation for our students’ academic study and training and equips them with essential knowledge and skills. I have also taken charge of the thorough development of detailed syllabi for all courses offered in these programs that allows the students to earn double major programs.
- I have established and supervised the capacity-building program committee, which comprises more than 20 dedicated faculty members. The committee has ended its task with a detailed report with the latest software and hardware tools to effectively face the challenges presented by the new study plan.
- I managed the efforts of the “Digital Studios Committee” that produced a detailed plan of the state-of-the-art video- and cutting-edge journalism labs. These facilities were intended to provide journalism and strategic communication students with the most advanced resources of media training.
- I assume the leadership of the study-abroad committee, which conducted an in-depth analysis of the latest research trends in journalism, mass communication, and strategic communication. The committee identified the top universities in the United States and Europe that offer the distinguished learning opportunities for prospective Qatari faculty members who wish to study abroad.
- I co-chaired the joint committee tasked with coordinating the international conference on “Social Networks and Political Polarization: Power Relations and Socio-Cultural Impact.” The Department of Mass Communication and Al Jazeera Centre for Studies jointly organized an exceptional academic and policy oriented conference that brought the prominent experts and academics in the fields of social media, power relations, and socio-political impact. The Distinguished figures such as Manuel Castells, Bruce Mutsvairo, Guy Berger, Nabil Dajani, Victor Pickard and Winston Mano and myself delivered the keynote addresses during the event.
- I took the initiative to organize a joint forum between media industry stakeholders and the Department of Mass Communication in the State of Qatar. During this forum, representatives of all Qatari newspapers, television channels, and radio stations in collaboration with the faculties of the Department of Mass Communication explored the new horizons for students’ internships and training.
- I proposed a new concept for the Capstone Courses aiming to synchronize them with the latest digital advancements that have had a profound impact on media and journalism education on a global scale. The proposal centers on embracing a multidisciplinary approach, advocating for co-teaching, and fostering collaboration between experts and academia in teaching and evaluation of the capstone project. Furthermore, I introduced an up-to-date idea for “Sout Al Gammaa,” the “Qatar University Newspaper,” suggesting a transition to an online version instead of the traditional print format to enhance the digital communication skills of the two program students.
- As a Chair of the Committee of the Master Program, I led the joint work of the committee. The committee task ended with formulating four M.A programs: 1) Journalism 2) Strategic Communication 3) International Communication and, 4) Sports Journalism. The two-year Master meets the basic needs of media job market in Qatar and the region. The M.A proposal includes the feasibility study, the study plan, course description, mission and vision, faculty requirements and financial aspects.
- In 2013, I held the position of the Dean for the International Academy for Media Sciences, where I took the initiative to design the study plan and curricula for a new program called “digital journalism.”
- During the same year, at Future University in Egypt, I founded a program focused on “public opinion and political communication in collaboration with Michael X. Delli Carpini, Professor of Communication and the Dean of the Annenberg School for Communications, U.S.A.
- In 2012, I developed a comprehensive code of ethics for journalism. This code was intended to promote media self-regulation and was extensively discussed in various seminars organized by several institutions like the Supreme Press Council, Ministry of Information, Press Syndicate, and other private media organizations in Egypt and the Arab world. Of utmost significance is the groundbreaking numerical scale, the first of its kind globally that I developed as a tool for self-regulation mechanism. This scale was effectively applied to analyze the violation of ethics in 18 newspapers in Egypt in 2012 and could be used anywhere.
- In 2006, I had the privilege of being chosen by the World Bank, UNESCO, and FAO to be a part of the esteemed Steering Committee (StC) for the First World Congress on Communication for Development (WCCD). This significant event took place in March 2006 in Rome, Italy. The congress focused on the role of communication in development initiatives and the proceedings have been published as online and offline platforms.
- From 2005 to 2013, I held the position of the Secretary General for the Global Communication Research Association (GCRA) and served as a member of the International Organizing Committee for the Association’s conferences. In this capacity, I collaborated closely with Prof. Naren Chitty of Macquarie University, the President of the Association and local organizers to facilitate the successful execution of the conferences, to formulate the call for papers for conferences, to chair many sessions and panels and to present several keynote addresses in Australia, China, India, Egypt and other countries.
- 2007-2009: As Dean of the Faculty of Mass Communication at October University of Egypt. I was responsible for most tasks and activities that led to the accreditation of the program by Middlesex University. My responsibilities included coordination with the program leaders, link tutors and all faculties in the revalidation process, managing student activities, ensuring the updating of module materials and module guides, implementing timetable and reporting to the President of the University.
- In 2008, I had the honor of being appointed as the Chairman of the Swedish-Egyptian Committee for Journalism and Communication Curricula Development Project. This collaborative initiative was undertaken in partnership with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and the Swedish Institute for Further Education of Journalists (FOJO), along with the Faculty of Mass Communication at Cairo University. The project had a multifaceted focus including: a) media literacy, b) journalism education curriculum development, c) youth media production workshops and, d) media and human rights textbook.
- In 2002, I had the honor of being appointed as a member of the UNESCO panel for the preparatory phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) in 2002. As part of this role, my responsibilities involved participating in the formulation of an action plan to be presented at the WSIS, which took place in Geneva in December 2003. Additionally, I was tasked with conducting research on the topic of “Information and Communication Technologies in the Information Age: Opportunities and Challenges for Cultural and Linguistic Diversity.” my research, alongside the contributions of other panel members, were subsequently published at both online and offline platforms.
