The College of Political Science at the University of Baghdad held a PhD dissertation defense on Monday, June 29, 2026, for the dissertation entitled “Contemporary Arab Nationalist Political Thought: A Critical Study,” submitted by researcher Thanaa Abdul Aziz Saeed. The defense was held in Al-Hurriya Hall.
The dissertation sought to provide a critical study of contemporary Arab nationalist political thought by analyzing the intellectual crisis it has faced, manifested in the decline in the production of ideas and fundamental objectives associated with the concepts of the nation, nationalism, and unity over recent decades.
The study also examined the causes of this crisis, including the rigidity of intellectual assumptions and concepts, the inability to accommodate political and intellectual changes, as well as the absence of serious intellectual reviews and attempts at renewal since the decline of the Arab nationalist movement following the June 1967 setback. This, in turn, contributed to the diminishing presence of Arab nationalist thought in the intellectual arena.
The dissertation defense committee consisted of:
Prof. Dr. Iyad Khalaf Hussein – Chair.
Prof. Dr. Batoul Hussein Alwan – Member.
Prof. Dr. Mai Mujeeb Abdul-Munim – Member.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmed Adnan Aziz – Member.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdul-Karim Abdul-Wahhab – Member.
Prof. Dr. Amal Hindi Kati – Member and Supervisor.
At the conclusion of the defense, the committee decided to accept the dissertation and award the researcher a PhD degree in Political Science with a grade of “Very Good”.
