Hassan Asif

About

I study how people shape, and are shaped by, digital platforms, remix aesthetics, and grassroots media production across South Asia and its global offshoots. My work bridges media studies, cultural anthropology, and critical platform analysis to trace what happens when traditional expressive forms meet algorithms, copyright regimes, and DIY creator economies.

Education

• PhD, Information, University of Toronto , 2019 – present (expected 2026). Collaborative Specialization in South-Asian Studies.
• MA, Museums & Gallery Practice, University College London, 2015 (Distinction).
• BS, Communication Studies, Northwestern University, 2014 (cum laude).

Publications

Selected Grants & Awards

• Margaret Higgins Memorial Fellowship (2025)
• Professor Amilcare Iannucci Graduate Fellowship (2025)
• Chancellor Jackman Graduate Fellowship (2024–25)
• SSHRC Doctoral Scholarship (2023-24)
• Ontario Graduate Scholarship (2021-23)
• iSchools Inc. Research Award (2021-22)

Conference Papers & Presentations (Selected)

• Obfuscation as revelation: Knowledge sharing, piracy, and Islamic devotional remixing in Pakistan . ICA Pre-Conference “Debating Creator Culture,” Boulder, CO, USA (2025)
• Between confusion and deception: Ethical dilemmas in AI-enabled audiovisual remixing of Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza’s sermons . Reframing Togetherness/Recadrer L’unité, Canadian Communication Association Annual Conference, George Brown College, Toronto (2025)
• Cracked devotion: Piracy, pedagogy, and Islamic media remixing in Pakistan. Centre for South Asian Studies Graduate Workshop, Munk School, University of Toronto (2025)
• Mediating truth: Tensions in AI-driven remixing of Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza’s sermons. (In)Tensions: Navigating the In-Between, Communication Graduate Caucus, Carleton University, Ottawa (2025)
• Digital desires and distortions: The impact of deepfake pornography in Pakistani cyberspace . Global Digital Intimacies Conference, University of Amsterdam (2024)
• Technological transcendence: Transformation of Naʿat in Pakistan’s digital Islamic landscape. . Movements, Canadian Association for the Study of Islam and Muslims (CASIM) Biennial Conference, St. Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia (2024)
• Bytes of blessings: Examining digital technology’s influence on Pakistan’s Naʿat culture. 51st Annual Conference on South Asia, Madison, USA (2023)
• Prayers, pixels, and piracy: Online presentation of religious self in Pakistan’s Naʿat community. . Communication, Media and Film, Graduate Student Conference: r/evolution in Media(Scapes), University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta (2023)

Professional Experience (Highlights)

• Senior Digital Fellow, Muslims in Canada Archive & Data Initiative, University of Toronto (2021-23)
• Program Manager, Amal Academy (2017-18)
• Consultant / Project Assistant, UNESCO Pakistan (2016-17)
• Account Manager, TBWA\Worldwide (2015)

Teaching

• Reimagining Global Copyright (Graduate, University of Toronto, St. George, 2024–25)
• Religion, Media & Popular Culture (Undergraduate, University of Toronto, Mississauga, 2023)
• Engaging with Texts (LUMS, 2019)
• History & Sociology (A-level, 2018-19)

Service & Community

• Volunteer Mentor, Palestinian Students & Scholars at Risk (2025–present)
• Graduate Student Mentor, University of Toronto
• Manuscript Reviewer, Journal of Religion, Media & Digital Culture (2022)
• Mental Health Committee, Doctoral Students Association (2020-21)

Contact

Email: h.asif@mail.utoronto.ca
Location: Toronto, Canada