About Ahmad Jahed Mushtaq
Ahmad Jahed Mushtaq is a PhD scholar at the School of Media & Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and a lecturer at the School of Journalism, Al-Beruni University. Mr. Mushtaq completed his master's studies at University Malaysia Pahang (UMP), Malaysia, and his bachelor’s studies at Al-Beruni University, Afghanistan.
From a young age, he developed a passion for reading newspapers, magazines, and books, inspired by his family’s love for literature. This passion fueled his pursuit of formal and informal education, leading naturally to his bachelor's and master's studies in Journalism. Writing articles for local newspapers and working as a reporter and editor for the Great Kapisa (Kapisa-e Buzorg) monthly newspaper marked the beginning of his career, followed by publishing journal papers and books. He also served as the Editor-in-Chief of Radio Bahar 89.8 FM.
With over thirteen years of academic experience, Mr. Mushtaq is well-prepared for academic challenges. He has taught subjects such as research methodology, reporting, investigative reporting, and thesis writing for nearly 14 years, utilizing Outcome Based Education (OBE) and Student-Centered Learning (SCL) methodologies.
Mr. Mushtaq significantly improved his research abilities during his master's journey at UMP, with a thesis focused on the habits and motives of reading newspapers among students. After earning his master's degree, he returned to Afghanistan to continue teaching and researching at Al-Beruni University, where he was appointed Deputy Dean of the Journalism Faculty. In 2017, he won an individual research project in a competition organized by the Higher Education Development Program (HEDP) among all public government universities in Afghanistan.
He has published several journal papers and participated in local, national, and international conferences. His first book, “Culture of Reading Newspaper in Afghanistan,” is the only book on newspaper reading habits in Afghanistan using mixed research methods. Notably, his research article, “The Effects of Social Media on Undergraduate Student’s Academic Performances,” has been cited over 100 times. Additionally, Mr. Mushtaq translated Marcy Burstiner’s textbook, “Investigative Journalism; from Premise to Publication,” from English to Persian.
As the Peace Project Coordinator (PPC) at Al-Beruni University, he published four issues of the academic journal “Armaghan Solh” (meaning "peace gift") and several issues of a student bimonthly on peacebuilding and conflict resolution. Based on these achievements, he was appointed as the Academic Vice Chancellor (AVC) at Al-Beruni University.
During his tenure as AVC, he made significant strides in training, research, planning, quality assurance, and accreditation. Under his leadership, Al-Beruni University advanced from the third to the second stage of accreditation, and the second strategic plan of the university was approved by the higher education board. He chaired several committees, including research, quality assurance, curriculum, strategic plan, and academic promotions. He also served on the editorial board of the Al-Beruni International Journal of Social Sciences and reviewed papers for various journals, including Philosophy and Practice (E-Journal), International Journal of Political Science and Development, Asian Journal of Research in Computer Science, and International Journal of Advances in Research.
