Ms. Saba Batool Wadhar | Journalism | Research Excellence Award
Ms. Saba Batool Wadhar | Journalism | PhD Student at Shenzhen University | China
Journalism is at the core of Ms. Saba Batool Wadhar’s academic and professional journey. Ms. Saba Batool Wadhar completed a Bachelor’s degree in Chinese International Language at Tianjin Normal University, after a dedicated Chinese language course at the same institution, and went on to earn a Master’s in Journalism and Communication from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) between September 2021 and June 2024. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD in Journalism and Communication at Shenzhen University (since September 2024). Her education, deeply rooted in language acquisition and cross-cultural understanding, laid a strong foundation for her evolving interest in global media communication, digital storytelling, and the transformative potential of new media technologies. During her master’s program, Ms. Saba Batool Wadhar authored a dissertation titled “Metaverse as Medium in Tourism Industry: An Empirical Study to Understand Potential Consumers,” which explored how immersive virtual environments might revolutionize tourism. Her empirical study, based on responses from 956 participants in China, thoughtfully examined perceived benefits (such as cost savings, media richness, and spatial presence) alongside perceived barriers (including Metaverse anxiety and concerns over tangible resource availability), ultimately highlighting the role of individual readiness to change and eco-centric attitudes in shaping potential adoption of virtual tourism platforms in a post-COVID-19 context. Professionally, Ms. Saba Batool Wadhar has honed her communication and journalism skills through various projects — from analyzing user-generated content on social media to crafting strategic communication plans and carrying out branding strategies for the dairy industry. Her research repertoire includes critical analysis of new media content, exploring factors influencing international travel in the post-pandemic era, and investigating how eco-centric attitudes can influence sustainable tourism through metaverse-based platforms. Her methodological and technical skill set is robust: she is proficient in Microsoft Office for documentation, SPSS and AMOS for statistical analysis, R and Python for data processing, as well as data visualization tools like Tableau. Additionally, she has experience using specialized software such as CiteSpace and Smart-PLS for bibliometric analysis and structural equation modeling, enabling her to process, analyze, and visualize complex data sets. Beyond her technical and analytical strengths, Ms. Saba Batool Wadhar has contributed to academic conferences and seminars, where she presented findings that have the potential to shape future communication strategies and inform new media practices. Although formal awards or honors are not listed in her curriculum vitae, her acceptance into a PhD program at Shenzhen University shortly after completing her master’s degree, along with her publications in refereed journals, reflect scholarly recognition of her work. In summary, Ms. Saba Batool Wadhar stands at the intersection of journalism, communication, and digital innovation; her academic background, combined with her research interests in virtual tourism, media effects, and sustainable communication, and her proficiency in advanced research tools, make her a promising scholar positioned to contribute significantly to evolving fields in media studies and digital communication.
Featured Publications
Wadhar, S. B., Shahani, R., Zhou, R., Siddiquei, A. N., Ye, Q., & Asmi, F. (2023). What factors will influence Chinese international traveling for leisure in the post-COVID-19 era: Role of health priorities and health-related information literacy. Healthcare, 11(3), 315. (Citations: 14)
He, J., Muhammad, D., Zhang, R., Wadhar, S. B., Shahani, R., & Huang, Z. (2025). Research on the impact of ecological innovations in China’s optoelectronics industry on corporate ESG under the background of “Double Carbon”. Sustainable Futures, 10, 101444.