The Department of Architecture Engineering at the College of Engineering, University of Baghdad, held the PhD dissertation defense of doctoral candidate Noor Hussein Ali Kadhim on Thursday, May 7, 2026. Her dissertation was entitled:
“Urban Scenography: Constructing an Analytical Framework for the Production of Urban Events – The Tigris River as a Case Study”
The dissertation was supervised by:
- Assistant Professor Dr. Sajida Kazim Alawi
- Assistant Professor Dr. Zuhair Abdul Azeem Abbas
The examination committee consisted of:
- Professor Dr. Shaimaa Hamid Hussein
Department of Architecture Engineering / College of Engineering / Al-Nahrain University — Chairperson - Assistant Professor Dr. Amjad Mahmoud Al-Badri
Department of Architecture Engineering / College of Engineering / University of Baghdad — Member - Assistant Professor Dr. Osama Abdul Munim Al-Tamimi
Department of Architecture Engineering / College of Engineering / University of Baghdad — Member - Assistant Professor Dr. Dirgham Muzhir Karim
Department of Architecture Engineering / College of Engineering / University of Baghdad — Member - Assistant Professor Dr. Sally Fakhri Khalaf
Department of Architecture Engineering / College of Engineering / University of Baghdad — Member - Assistant Professor Dr. Sajida Kazim Alawi
Department of Architecture Engineering / College of Engineering / University of Baghdad — Supervisor - Assistant Professor Dr. Zuhair Abdul Azeem Abbas
College of Urban Planning / University of Kufa — Supervisor
The dissertation presented an in-depth exploration of the Tigris River as an open urban stage, where the city transforms from a silent scene into a vibrant performance shaped by movement, light, symbolism, and human interaction. The research demonstrated how urban scenography can reinterpret the riverside urban landscape, transforming it into a dynamic space capable of generating urban events and creating renewed urban experiences.
The study was founded on the idea that the river is not merely a natural element flowing through the city, but rather a living urban theater upon whose banks the narratives of place, memory, and movement are continuously written. Through the integration of urban scenography and spatial analysis, the dissertation sought to construct an analytical and applied framework capable of revealing the mechanisms behind the production of riverside urban events. It further aimed to transform inactive riverfront spaces into interactive platforms that embody visual, symbolic, and functional dialogue between the two sides of the city, allowing Baghdad to emerge as a living urban scene continually reimagined through the presence of the river.
