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Muhammad Abdullah

Dr. Muhammad Abdullah

Assistant Professor
Research Interests: Gendered Discourses, Cultural Criticism, South Asian Studies, Higher Education Leadership
Office Location: Professor's Room Office No. 18
Contact Number: m.abdullah@gcu.edu.pk
Personal Website: https://abdullahmo.com/

Biography

Dr. Muhammad Abdullah is Assistant Professor of English at Government College University Lahore and an HEC-approved PhD supervisor. He completed his PhD in English Linguistics (Gender and Discourse) from the National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad. He also holds an MA in Applied Linguistics from the University of Salford, UK, and an MA in English (Distinction) from the International Islamic University Islamabad. His research interests include gendered discourse, postfeminism, Islamic feminism, Pakistani women’s writing, and critical discourse analysis. He has published in HEC-recognized and international journals, including Journal of Gender Studies (Taylor & Francis). Dr. Abdullah regularly reviews for national and international academic journals and has supervised numerous MPhil and BS theses in linguistics and literary studies. He has presented his research at international conferences across Europe, the UK, and South Asia.

Education

  • PhD in English, NUML (Islamabad) 2019
  • Masters in Applied Linguistics, University Of Salford (Manchester, UK) 2012

Teaching Areas

Language and gender, Introduction to Literature, Stylistics, Basic Writing Skills, Advance Writing Skills, Structure of Language, Introduction to Linguistics, Language Culture and Identity, Semantics, Sociolinguistics, Discourse Analysis, Creative Writing, Shakespearean Studies, English for Academic Purposes, English for Employment, Pakistani Literature in English, Women’s Writings, Human Rights and Citizenship, Classical to Modern Prose, Contemporary Prose, Postcolonial Studies, South African Literature, World Englishes, Psycholinguistics, Professional Communication, History of English Literature, Pragmatics

Experience

From To Designation Firm/Institution
Oct 2023 Continue Assistant Professor Government College University Lahore

Journal Papers

  • Abdullah, M. (2025). "Between Noir and Post-feminism: Subversive Femininities in Contemporary Pakistani Web Series." Journal of Gender Studies , pp. 1-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2025.2589281 | Impact Factor: 2.3
  • Abdullah, M. (2025). "Exploration of Women’s Empowerment Within Gangster Culture: A Case Study of Mafia Queens of Mumbai." Journal of Arts and Linguistics Studies , Vol. 3 (2) , pp. 3329-3357. DOI: https://doi.org/10.71281/jals.v3i2.374
  • Abdullah, M. (2025). "Framing Islamic Feminism: A Critical Review of Concepts, Debates, and Directions." Journal of Arts and Linguistics Studies , Vol. 3 (3) , pp. 5123-5175. DOI: https://doi.org/10.71281/jals.v3i3.461
  • Abdullah, M. (2024). "Folk Wisdom in Oral Cultures: A Linguo-Cultural Analysis of Punjabi and Nigerian Indigenous Knowledge Systems about Hospitality." International Journal of Linguistics and Culture , Vol. 5 (2) , pp. 153-168. DOI: https://doi.org/10.52700/iljc.v5i2.279
  • Abdullah, M. (2024). "Gendering, Jeering, and COVID-19: A Feminist Critique of Social Media Humor.." International Journal of Linguistics and Culture , Vol. 5 (1) , pp. 45-64. [Link]
  • Abdullah, M. (2023). "Dislocation of Technology in Don DeLillo’s The Silence.." Pakistan Journal of Language and Translation Studies , Vol. Volume 10 (Issue 2) , pp. pp. 18-31. DOI: https://pjlts.uog.edu.pk/index.php/pjlts/article/view/71/version/72 [Link]
  • Abdullah, M. (2022). "CPEC and Cultural Connectivity: A Study of Media and Literary Productions.." Pakistan Journal of Language and Translation Studies. , Vol. Volume 10 (Issue 2) , pp. pp. 1-10. [Link]
  • Abdullah, M. (2021). "Emergent Sexualities and Intimacies in Contemporary Pakistani Women’s Fiction: A Postfeminist Reading.." Journal of Gender and Social Issues , Vol. Volume 20 (Issue 2) , pp. pp. 39-50. [Link]
  • Abdullah, M. (2019). "Love, Matrimony and Sexuality: Saudi Sensibilities and Muslim Women’s Fiction." Pakistan Journal of Women Studies , Vol. Volume 26 (Issue 2) , pp. pp. 19-30. [Link]
  • Abdullah, M. (2019). "Trimti: Siraiki Feminism and Role of Women Siraiki Literary Domain." Pakistan Journal of Women Studies , Vol. Volume 26 (Issue 1) , pp. pp. 95-108. [Link]
  • Abdullah, M. (2018). "Black Feminism: A Study of Chiamamanda Nagozi’s Americanah and Half of a Yellow Sun." Pakistan Journal of American Studies , Vol. Volume 36 (Issue 1) , pp. 76-91. [Link]
  • Abdullah, M. (2018). "No Sex in the City and Postfeminist Discursivity from Arab Diaspora." Pakistan Journal of Women Studies , Vol. Volume 25 (Issue 2) , pp. pp. 77-92. [Link]
  • Abdullah, M. (2017). "Islamic Postfeminism and Muslim Chick-lit: Coexistence of Conflicting Discourses." Pakistan Journal of Women Studies , Vol. Volume 24 (Issue 2) , pp. pp. 93-105. [Link]
  • Abdullah, M. (2017). "Minaret: Islam and Feminism at Crossroads." FEMERIS: Multidisciplinary Journal of Gender Studies , Vol. Volume 2 (Issue 2) , pp. pp. 154-165. [Link]
  • Abdullah, M. (2014). "Problem of Culture: ELT in a Pakistani Context." European Scientific Journal (ESJ) , Vol. Volume 1 , pp. pp. 425-432. [Link]

Conference Papers

  • Annual Conference of the Belgian Association of Anglicists in Higtion (BAAHE), Language and Literature across the Lifespan (2025), University of Namur. , Paper: "Aging Beyond the Binary: Transcultural Gerontology, Gender and Marginality in Arundhati Roy’s The Minister of Utmost Happiness"
  • International Conference on Linguistics & Literature (2025), University of Lahore, Lahore. , Paper: "Research Ethics in the Era of Artificial Intelligence"
  • International Conference of the School of Liberal Arts (2024), University of Management & Technology, Lahore. , Paper: "Peripheral Epistemologies: Voicing the Unvoiced"
  • International Conference of the School of Liberal Arts (2024), University of Management & Technology, Lahore, Pakistan.. , Paper: "Peripheral Epistemologies: Voicing the Unvoiced"
  • Pakistani Voices: Exploring Research Methods in Linguistics and Literature, (2024), University of Lahore, Lahore.. , Paper: "Pakistani Women’s Writing: Islamic Feminism and Postcolonial Perspectives"
  • "Islam and Feminism" in Muslim Women’s Popular Fiction Network,University of Birmingham, UK. Muslim Women’s Popular Fiction Conference (2023), University of Birmingham, UK.. , Paper: "Postfeminist Reading of Pakistani Popular Fiction by Women"
  • International H/Story Conference on Sex and Sexuality. Erotic Discourses in/of History (2023), University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.. , Paper: "Tracing Erotic Elements in Anglophone Pakistani Women Writings"
  • “Reading Saba Mehmood in Pakistan” at Gender, Piety and Secularity (conversations with Saba Mehmood) (2023), LUMS Lahore, Pakistan.. , Paper: "Genesis of Asian-Islamic-Femaleness through Contemporary Pakistani Women’s Chick-Lit"
  • ICLUVS International Hybrid Conference (2022), DSPM and Arab Society of English Language Studies, Mostaganem, Algeria.. , Paper: "Gender Jeering and COVID-19 Humour: A Semiotic Study of Pakistani Social Media"
  • Second International Conference on Gender Studies, Contemporary Gender Issues: Challenges and Opportunities (2022), University of the Punjab, Lahore.. , Paper: "Feminist Disambiguation and Anti-foundationalist Empowerment Agenda"
  • The AMICAL (2020), American University of Kuwait, Kuwait City. , Paper: "Documenting Local Cultures through Digital Storytelling in Pakistan"
  • Locations and Dislocations: Places and Spaces in Contemporary Women’s Writing. International Contemporary Women’s Writing Association Conference (2019), Algoma University, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada.. , Paper: "Depicting City Spaces in Postmodern Geographies: Lahori Landscape through the Lens of Contemporary Women Writers"
  • the AMICAL (American International Consortium of Academic Libraries) (2019), American University of Cairo, Egypt.. , Paper: "Research in Humanities: An Exploration of Reliance on Digital Tools and Methods in Pakistani Academia"
  • 1st National Conference on Counter Balancing Politics and Aesthetics in Pakistan (2018), University of the Punjab Lahore.. , Paper: "Postfeminist Poetics of Anglophone Pakistani Fiction"
  • Romantic E-Spaces Conference (2018), University of Balearic Island, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. , Paper: "Emergent Sexualities and Intimacies in Pakistani Anglophone Literature"
  • 3rd International Conference of the Linguistic Association of Pakistan, Global Developments and Local Perspectives: Expanding Scope for Linguistics Studies & Applied Linguistics Practices (2017), NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan.. , Paper: "Literature and Linguistics: Divisions and Intersections in the Processes of Meaning Making"
  • The 18th World Congress of Applied Linguistics AILA (2017), AILA, Rio, Brazil. , Paper: "English or no English? Perceptions of Pakistani Madrassah teachers and students towards English Language"
  • Applied Linguistics Association of Australia (ALAA) Conference (2016), (ALAA) Conference, Monash University, Australia.. , Paper: "English or no English? Perceptions of Pakistani Madrassah teachers and students towards English Language"
  • The New Global City: Presenting and Translating Cultures within a Worldwide Citizenry (2016), University of North Carolina, Wilmington, USA.. , Paper: "Connecting through Feminine: Cultural Politics and Global Feminist Cause"
  • First International Conference of the Linguistic Association of Pakistan (2015), Kinnaird College for Women University, Lahore, Pakistan.. , Paper: "Breaking Stereotypes: A Study of Politeness Markers in Punjabi"
  • Free Linguistics Conference, (2015), De La Salle University, Manila, the Philippines. , Paper: "Language Shift: An Ethno- methodological study of Urdu-English Code Switching"
  • First International Conference of Literature and Language on Modern and Contemporary Literature, Language and Culture (2014), Government College University, Lahore.. , Paper: "Gender Jihad: A Post-feminist discursive exploration of Pakistani Fiction"
  • Second International Workshop ‘Reviewing Governance and Nation Building (2014), Quaid-a-Azam University Islamabad.. , Paper: "Linguistic Diversity and Nationalism in Pakistan"
  • 1st Kashmir Conference on Linguistics (2013), AJKU, Muzzafarabad.. , Paper: "Pakistani Teachers’ Perceptions and Practices of teaching English in EFL classrooms"
  • SPARC 11, Salford, Post Graduate Annual Research Conference (2011), SPARC 11, Salford, UK.. , Paper: "Interaction and SLA"

Projects

Title Role Funded by Amount Year Status
Advancing Female Literacy and Empowerment in Pakistan through Life Writing Team Member UK (Global Challenges Research Fund) 5000000.00 2020 Completed
Decolonising Feminism Team Member QR Global Challenges Research Fund 3500000.00 2019 Completed

Awards/Achievements

  • Founder and Convener Pakistan English Conference (2025), GCUL.
  • Advisor, Linguistics Society, GCUL (2024), GCUL.
  • Editor Journal of Linguistics and Language studies, GCUL (2024), GCUL.
  • Member Board of Studies (2024), University of Narowal.
  • Additional Director Academics (2023), University of Jhang.
  • Member Affiliation Committee (2023), University of Jhang.
  • Program Coordinator, PhD English Literature, GCUL (2023), GCUL.
  • All Punjab English Studies Colloquium (2022), University of Jhang. Founder “All Punjab English Studies Colloquium” between heads of English departments from 15 Universities across Punjab to rethink English Studies in Pakistan at University of Jhang, Pakistan. (19-20 September, 2022)
  • Head of English Department, (2020), University of Jhang.
  • Travel Grant (2020), Great Lakes Colleges Association (Ann Arbor, US). Travel Grant of PKR 1.5 Lac by Great Lakes Colleges Association (Ann Arbor, US) to present a paper at the AMICAL (American International Consortium of Academic Libraries), American University of Kuwait, Kuwait. (15-18 Jan, 2020).
  • Member Board of Studies (2019), University of Jhang.
  • Travel Grant (2019), Forman Christian College University (Lahore, Pakistan). Travel Grant of PKR 2.09 Lac by Forman Christian College University (Lahore, Pakistan) + Earlier Career Professionals Research Grant of 500 Canadian Dollars by Contemporary Women Writers Association to present a paper at International Contemporary Women’s Writing Association Conference, Algoma University, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada. (3-5 July, 2019).
  • Travel Grant (2019), (AMICAL) American International Consortium of Academic Libraries (Paris, France). Travel Grant of 1000 USD by (AMICAL) American International Consortium of Academic Libraries (Paris, France) to present a paper at American University of Cairo, Egypt. (29 March - 1 April, 2019).
  • Travel Grant (2019), (AMICAL) American International Consortium of Academic Libraries (Paris, France). Travel Grant of 1000 USD by (AMICAL) American International Consortium of Academic Libraries (Paris, France) to present a paper at American University of Cairo, Egypt. (29 March - 1 April, 2019).
  • Travel Grant (2019), (AMICAL) American International Consortium of Academic Libraries (Paris, France). Travel Grant of 1000 USD by (AMICAL) American International Consortium of Academic Libraries (Paris, France) to present a paper at American University of Cairo, Egypt. (29 March - 1 April, 2019).
  • Editor Newsletter of Research and Review Club (2018), Forman Christian College University (Lahore, Pakistan).
  • Travel Grant (2018), Punjab Higher Education Commission (Lahore, Pakistan). Travel Grant of PKR 239,988 by Punjab Higher Education Commission (Lahore, Pakistan) to present a paper at Romantic E-Spaces Conference, University of Balearic Island, Palma de Mallorca, Spain. (9-11 July, 2018).
  • Travel Grant (2018), Duke University (Durham, US). Travel Grant of 1000 USD by Duke University (Durham, US) for 12th Annual Feminist Theory Workshop, North Carolina, US. (March 23-24, 2018).
  • Student advisor (2017), Forman Christian College University. As an advisor, I provided students, especially freshmen, with information about career opportunities and also mentored and counselled them on the university's resources and support mechanisms for their personal, professional, and academic growth.
  • Travel Grant (2017), Punjab Higher Education Commission (Lahore, Pakistan). Travel Grant of PKR 0.316 Million by Punjab Higher Education Commission (Lahore, Pakistan) to present a paper at AILA, Rio, Brazil. (23-28 July, 2017).
  • Certificate of Adjudgement (2016), Forman Christian College University. Certificate of Adjudgement for the "Spellathon Word Spelling Contest" by Ewing English Society. (24-25 October, 2016)
  • Travel Grant (2016), Forman Christian College University. Travel Grant (Air ticket) of PKR 1.6 Lac by Forman Christian College University (Lahore, Pakistan) for paper presentation at Applied Linguistics Association of Australia, Monash University, Australia. (December 5-7, 2016).
  • Travel Grant (2016), US State Department (Washington D.C., US). Travel Grant of 2000 USD by US State Department (Washington D.C., US) to present a paper at The New Global City: Presenting and Translating Cultures within a Worldwide Citizenry at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, USA. (May 12-14, 2016).
  • Certification of Appreciation (2015), Forman Christian College University (Lahore, Pakistan). Certification of Appreciation for "Volunteering Time & Efforts towards the Professional Development of FCC Faculty & Staff during the Year 2015 (Jan-Dec)", Forman Christian College, Lahore, Pakistan. (2015)
  • Travel Grant (2015), Forman Christian College University (Lahore, Pakistan). Travel Grant of PKR 1 Lac by Forman Christian College University (Lahore, Pakistan) for Sociolinguistics Summer School, University of Dublin, Ireland. (4-7 August, 2015).
  • Certificate of Appreciation (2014), Forman Christian College University (Lahore, Pakistan). Certificate of Appreciation for contributing in "Humanities Symposia Series 2014", Forman Christian College, Lahore, Pakistan. (2014)
  • Graduate Seminar Series Coordinator (2014), Forman Christian College University. I initiated "Graduate Seminar Series" at FCCU. Its purpose was to provide platform to scholarly debates on the recent trends in English Language & Literature between postgraduate students and teaching fraternity. It invited the scholars of good repute from Pakistan and abroad.
  • Head of English department (2013), Riphah International University, Faisalabad Campus.
  • Certificate of Completion (2011), University of Salford, England. Certificate of Completion "10/10 Wordscope Writing Workshops", Advanced Student Learner Enhancement Programme for Improving Academic Writing Skills, University of Salford, England. (May 2011)
  • Gold Award (2011), University of Salford, England. Gold Award, Salford Student Life Award, University of Salford, England. (May 2011)
  • Student Representative Certificate (2011), University of Salford, England. Student Representative Certificate, University of Salford, England. (June 2011)
  • The Vice Chancellor's International Postgraduate Scholarship (2010), University of Salford, England. The Vice Chancellor's International Postgraduate Scholarship, University of Salford, England. (2010)
  • Best Organizer Certificate (2009), International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan. Best Organizer Certificate, Culture Week, International Islamic University Islamabad, Pakistan. (2009)