On May 29, the University of Kurdistan Hewlêr (UKH) hosted the Iraq Political Science Day. This landmark event brought together a dynamic assembly of faculty, researchers, and students from seven universities across Iraq, including universities in Baghdad, Erbil, and Sulaimaniyah.
The event aimed to foster dialogue and collaboration in the fields of Political Science and International Relations, reflecting on the evolving political landscapes of Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and the Middle East.
The comprehensive programme featured over 25 research presentations delivered in English, Arabic, and Kurdish, with simultaneous interpretation. The programme was organised into five panels, each exploring critical themes such as international political economy, regional politics, governance, Iraq’s societal dynamics, and the complexities of the Kurdistan Region and disputed territories.
Highlights included in-depth discussions on Iraq’s evolving foreign policy, the influence of AI in governance and defense, and an engaging debate on the resilience of the political system in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region as well as the role of women in politics. A concluding discussion panel, chaired by UKH’s Dr. Thomas Schmidinger, featured leading Iraqi scholars and offered a forward-looking assessment of the state of Political Science in Iraq.
