Dr. Zeeshan Zaigham SMC - BNU

Dr. Zeeshan Zaighum is an accomplished academician and communication strategist with a PhD in Mass Communication. He currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at the School of Media and Mass Communication, Beaconhouse National University (BNU). Dr. Zeeshan is a recognized expert in Strategic Communication (StratCom) and the emerging field of Fifth-Generation Hybrid Warfare (5GHW).

His pioneering research on 5GHW explores the dynamic roles of national and international security institutions, intelligence agencies, governments, and non-state actors in the evolving landscape of global conflict and communication. Dr. Zeeshan’s groundbreaking work has opened a new avenue of academic inquiry and policy analysis within media and communication studies in Pakistan, positioning him as a key thought leader in these domains.

An alumnus of the prestigious National Defence University (NDU) Islamabad, Dr. Zeeshan participated in the NMW-9 program, further enhancing his expertise in strategic communications. He has been instrumental in designing and conducting specialized StratCom workshops and training sessions for various government departments, policy research institutes, and think tanks, helping to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical application in the public sector.

With his forward-thinking approach and deep understanding of contemporary communication challenges, Dr. Zeeshan continues to contribute significantly to both the academic community and the strategic communications field.

• PhD in Mass Communication, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore
• MPhil in Mass Communication, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore
• BA (Honors) in Mass Communication, Forman Christian College, Lahore
• Additional Qualification: Central Superior Services (CSS)

• Assistant Professor, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, School of Media and Mass Communication, Beaconhouse National University, Lahore (2017 – Present)
• Lecturer, Lahore Leads University, Lahore (2013 – 2017)

PhD Dissertation

• "Analyzing Fifth-Generation Hybrid Warfare: Fault Lines, Interpretations, Implications, and the Way Forward for Pakistan" A pioneering study in this research area, based on data collected from national and international security institutions, state and non-state actors, contemporary information warfare operations, and defense projects.

Research Papers Published in HEC-Approved Journals

• From Strategy to Tactics: Conceptualizing Weaponization of Digital Media Platforms Across Levels of Warfare
• Information Warfare and Twitter: A Nexus of Indian Shadow Network on the Balochistan Issue (NDU Journal, 2024)
• The Media-Policy Nexus: Analyzing the Media’s Role in Policy Formation in Pakistan (LIRA Journal, 2024, 1, 24-34)
• Fifth-Generation Hybrid Warfare in Pakistan: State Interpretation, Mapping Hybrid Threats, and the Way Forward (IPRI, 2023)
• Military-Public Relations: A Study of Contemporary Information Warfare in Clausewitz’s Trinity through a CogSec Perspective
• Anatomizing Social Media Content on Covid-19 in Pakistan (2022)
• Mapping Fault Lines in the Context of Hybrid Warfare: A Case Study of Pakistan (2021)
• Analyzing the Role of the Corporate Sector in Achieving SDGs through Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives in Punjab, Pakistan (2021)
• Life 2.0: The Virtual Behavior of Pakistanis During the First Wave of COVID-19 (2021)
• Media, War, and Peace: A Post-Pulwama Comparative Study of India and Pakistan

Book Chapter

• Hybrid Warfare in the book ‘Kaleidoscope that is Pakistan’ published by IPRI Pakistan (2019)

Research Contribution

• Research Contribution in Foresight Lab for the Realtime Delphi (RTD) Study Project (2018)

• Email Address: zeeshan.zaigham@bnu.edu.pk
• Ext number: 652