Associate Professor Taberez Ahmed Neyazi from the Department of Communications and New Media at the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences has been named a Member of the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), Princeton for the Academic Year 2025-2026.

Founded in 1930, the IAS is one of the world’s leading centres for theoretical research and intellectual exploration. Renowned for providing an environment of deep intellectual engagement and academic freedom, its membership is awarded to individuals whose research is expected to produce significant and original contributions.

Members of the IAS span the academic spectrum, from early-career researchers of exceptional promise to distinguished senior scholars, and come to the Institute for residencies ranging from one term to several years. Past Members include luminaries such as Albert Einstein, theoretical physicist or ‘father of the atomic bomb’ J. Robert Oppenheimer, and renowned anthropologist Clifford Geertz.

This prestigious appointment places Assoc Prof Neyazi among a select group of approximately 200 scholars chosen annually from a competitive pool of applicants worldwide. He will begin his fellowship in IAS’ School of Social Science from September this year.

Assoc Prof Neyazi said, “I’m honoured to be selected as a Member of the Institute for Advanced Study. The IAS has long been a place where scholars are given the time and space to think deeply and engage critically with big ideas. I look forward to joining this extraordinary intellectual community and to advancing my research in such a uniquely stimulating environment.”

While in residence, he will be working on his book that focuses on the politics of internet shutdowns. As part of this project, he will be researching the evolving relationship between technology, governance, and power, with a particular focus on how digital infrastructure and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence shape political and social dynamics across different political regimes.

More broadly, Assoc Prof Neyazi’s research focuses on the relationship between media use and political behaviour, analysing campaign strategies, internet control, and misinformation. He pays particular attention to developments in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in India, Indonesia, and Malaysia, examining how the evolving information environment shapes online behaviours and influences the future of democratic politics.