Academics

Bio

DHIRAJ SINGH is Associate Dean at MIT-World Peace University’s Department of Media and Communication and Dadasaheb Phalke International Film School. He is the recipient of INDIAN ACHIEVERS’ FORUM’s ‘Man of Excellence Award-2021-22’ given in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Journalism and Nation-building. He is also an author whose novel ‘MASTER O’ brilliantly imagines the future where the rule of men is overthrown by a species of mutant elephants who can change physical reality. ‘Master O’ has been translated into Hindi owing to its critical success.

Prof. Dhiraj Singh has vast experience in communication, media, journalism, arts and films. His expertise also extends to formulating communication strategies for institutions, advocacy groups, legislative and policy think-tanks and at innovating fresh and creative modes of outreach. He is a filmmaker of documentaries and short-films. He is best-known for creating and presenting ‘Fairs of India’, a series on the amazing and colourful melas of India.

Prof. Dhiraj Singh has been Executive Director (rank of Joint Secretary) at Lok Sabha Television—the TV channel of the lower house of the Indian Parliament where he was leading a team of more than 80 media professionals. He was also the Officer-in-Charge for a world-wide LIVE event of the Indian Parliament when former US President Barack Obama addressed both Houses of Parliament at Central Hall. Many programmes conceptualized and created during his time at Lok Sabha TV went on to win prestigious media awards such as Ramnath Goenka Award, Ladli Media Award among others. He has served as consultant to the first lady Speaker of Lok Sabha Dr Meira Kumar. He has also served under Smt Sumitra Mahajan who became Speaker after Dr Kumar. In the past he has been co-founder of Hunar TV: an arts & culture web channel that aimed to make all arts—visual, music, dance, film, performance art, food and more—the talking-point of a wider audience.

He is also an established artist who has shown at prestigious shows such as India Art Fair and the Venice Architecture Biennale. He also has an arts column called #ArtIsEverywhere with NDTV-Mojarto. He has authored two other books—a collection of translated poetry and a biography. His book of translated poems by Jnanpith awardee Saumitra Saxena is called ‘I Like To Wash My Face With Seawater’. The biography is called ‘A Life in Two Lanes’ and it looks at the life of Uma Jain, the first woman art gallerist and one of the first women lawyers to practice at the Supreme Court India.

He has also translated works of eminent writers such as Munshi Premchand, Nirmal Verma, Bhisham Sahni, Ajeet Cour and Asghar Wajahat among others into English. His early years were spent in print journalism during which he worked with some of India’s Best and leading publications such as OUTLOOK magazine, HINDUSTAN TIMES, TIMES OF INDIA & ASIAN AGE in the capital New Delhi. This has given him a front-seat view of the changing landscape of both India and the media through the turn of the century to the present. He has a deep understanding of social and political issues, having worked with some of India’s legendary editors such as Vinod Mehta, M.J. Akbar and Vir Sanghvi.

He was associated with the TV Today Network when it launched India’s second English language news channel then called Headlines Today (now called ‘India Today’). As an industry leader with an enviable experience across media platforms, formats and genres he is a valuable addition to an academic institution that aims to excel.

In his time at MIT-WPU’s School of Media and Communication he brought in a unique way of looking at media education in the fast-changing landscape of the 21st century. He is also the Convenor of MIT World Peace University’s flagship ‘National Conference on Media & Journalism’ (NCMJ) whose theme ‘DIALOGUE, INCLUSIVITY and PEACE’ aims to connect the University’s unique name— ‘World Peace University’—with the fundamental principles of journalism.

At NCMJ 2022, he created three unique ‘JOURNALISM FOR PEACE AWARDS’ in the categories of print, broadcast, and digital journalism. These were given to journalists working to create a greater understanding of issues relating to human rights, peace-building and conflict-resolution. These first-of-their-kind Journalism for Peace Awards were widely hailed in the press as a wonderful and timely initiative of MIT-World Peace University.