The International University of Guinea (IUG) in Conakry hosted a doctoral thesis defense in the field of Education on Saturday, 15 August 2026, presented by Iraqi researcher Mohamed Thamer Rashid Al-Dagher. The academic event was attended by a number of professors, researchers, and individuals interested in academic and educational affairs. The defense took place in the Al-Hassan Kouta Hall at the university, with the proceedings also made available to remote participants through a live broadcast on the Zoom platform.
The thesis, entitled “Developing the Social Studies Curriculum for Intermediate Schools in Iraq in Light of Contemporary Issues and Its Impact on Students’ Attitudes Towards Studying the Subject,” addresses an important issue in the field of curriculum development. The study examines ways of modernizing the social studies curriculum for intermediate-level students in Iraq to make it more responsive to contemporary issues and developments, while also investigating the impact of such curriculum development on students’ attitudes, interests, and motivation towards studying the subject.
The thesis was supervised and reviewed by Dr. Attiya Khalifa Al-Ali, a university professor from Kuwait and instructor of Practical Education for postgraduate students at the International University of Guinea. The academic proceedings of the defense committee were coordinated by Dr. Daouda Konaté, Professor of Education at the International University of Guinea.
The defense committee brought together a distinguished group of academics specializing in curriculum development and teaching methods. The committee included Professor Dr. Hamdy Ahmed Mahmoud Hamed, Professor of Curriculum and Teaching Methods at Helwan University, Egypt, as a committee member and examiner; Professor Dr. Sayed Mohamed Zarouk Farag, Professor of Curriculum and Teaching Methods at the Government University of the Capital, Egypt, as a committee member and examiner; Dr. Samiha Fathy Hilal, faculty member at the College of Sciences and Arts, Jouf University, Saudi Arabia, as a committee member and examiner; and Dr. Omar Sano, faculty member at the International University of Guinea in Conakry, as a committee member and examiner.
The doctoral defense represented an important milestone in the researcher’s academic and scientific career. It also reflected the university’s commitment to providing an academic environment that promotes scientific research and postgraduate studies, while enabling researchers from different countries to benefit from diverse academic expertise and scholarly perspectives.
The organization of the defense is part of the International University of Guinea’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its presence in postgraduate education and scientific research. The university places particular emphasis on promoting academic research addressing contemporary educational and social issues, while also attracting academic expertise from Guinea, the Arab world, and the international community across a range of disciplines.
The participation of professors, researchers, and individuals interested in educational issues, together with the opportunity to follow the defense remotely via Zoom, contributed to expanding the reach of the academic event. It also added to the university’s growing programme of academic activities in the field of postgraduate education and research.
The International University of Guinea, based in Conakry, was established pursuant to Ministerial Decision No. A/2021/500/MESRS/SGG, issued by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Republic of Guinea. The university offers academic programmes in a range of disciplines and is committed to further developing its postgraduate programmes and strengthening its contribution to scientific research.
