Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Defense in Global Studies: Najifa Tanjeem 12/19

12/17/2025
By Najifa Tanjeem

The College of Fine Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Global Studies program invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation proposal defense by Najifa Tanjeem on “Tactics of Contemporary Academic Repression.”

Date: Friday, Dec. 19, 2025
Time: Noon - 2 p.m. EST
Location: This is a virtual defense. Please contact najifa_tanjeem@uml.edu for Zoom link.

Committee:

• Urmitapa Dutta, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Lowell (Chair)
• Cheryl Llewellyn, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Massachusetts Lowell
• Emma Rodman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract:
In the context of growing corporatization and militarization of higher education, this dissertation examines academic repression of social movements. Guided by qualitative interpretive methods, the objective of this dissertation is to a) develop a typology of contemporary tactics of repression and b) analyze discursive practices that enable and justify repression. This dissertation aims to contribute to critical university studies and scholarship on repression by deepening our understanding of present-day repressive tactics and discourses. Additionally, it seeks to generate practical implications for social movements, such as producing knowledge useful for movement building.