The College of Engineering at the University of Baghdad witnessed, on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, the public defense of the PhD dissertation by researcher Qamar Jamal Salim from the Department of Architecture. Her dissertation, titled “Adapting Architectural Education Spaces to Virtual Reality Technology – The University of Baghdad as a Case Study,” was supervised by Prof. Dr. Saad Fawzi Tuma.
The dissertation aimed to formulate design indicators for architectural education spaces that can adapt to virtual reality technology and meet the needs of the current generation and Generation Alpha, thereby creating a hybrid learning environment that integrates physical and virtual dimensions.
The results showed that an architectural education space is not merely a physical framework accommodating educational activities; rather, it constitutes an interactive and perceptual knowledge system connected to both the physical environment and the intangible virtual environment represented by the digital medium. This redefines the relationship between the student and the educational space, as sensory experience becomes integrated with digital infrastructure, transforming the physical place into a cognitive and perceptual experience and reinforcing the concept of hybrid learning within the physical educational space.
The adaptation of educational spaces to virtual reality technology is not limited to functional and technical modifications; rather, it represents a transformation in the understanding of the space and time that encompass the educational process. The dissertation concluded by presenting proposed solutions and scenarios for adapting educational spaces to virtual reality technology.
Following the discussion of the dissertation by the examination committee, the researcher’s defense, and the evaluation of the research, the researcher was awarded a PhD in Architectural Engineering Sciences.
