PhD student Hassan Asif, who has just been named a Chancellor Jackman Graduate Fellow in the Humanities, plans to use his fellowship to advance his dissertation, which explores the intersection of digital media, remix culture and Islamic devotional music in Pakistan.
His project examines the digital remixing of na’at, which are hymns in praise of Prophet Muhammad. This remixing blends traditional devotional expressions with modern digital technologies to challenge and redefine religious and cultural narratives.
Asif’s research not only contributes to the understanding of Muslim digital media cultures but also intersects with the fellowship’s annual theme of undergrounds/underworlds, given its emphasis on underground Islamic media phenomena.
“I look forward to collaborating with scholars from various disciplines, generating potential cross-pollination of ideas, and contributing to a broader comprehension of digital media’s role in shaping contemporary religious and cultural environments,” says Asif, who has done fieldwork in Lahore and Karachi and whose academic background includes museums and gallery practice, communications studies and cultural anthropology. “This fellowship is pivotal to my research project, providing invaluable funding, resources and a supportive intellectual community.”
