Discussion of the Doctoral Thesis Titled: "The Role of Urban Branding Strategies in City Popularity"
On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, the doctoral thesis of the student (Sherin Kamel Zidan) was discussed, titled "The Role of Urban Branding Strategies in City Popularity." The research embodies the concept of popularity as the opinions, beliefs, and general perceptions towards a city, thus representing a valuable resource for urban areas. The study focused on examining the phenomenon of popularity as a general framework for research.
The research adopted a Critical Realism approach, encompassing three levels: Empirical, Actual, and Real. The first phase (Empirical level) involved gathering impressions and general perceptions about the phenomenon through an exploratory study of the key indicators and dimensions that engaged the audience concerning the topic of popularity in Baghdad at both local and global levels. The research identified the unobservable structures causing Baghdad's popularity, represented by the mental and emotional associations tied to the city's branding.
The second level (Actual level) of the research methodology involved constructing mechanisms that generate the phenomenon of popularity by exploring approaches and strategies for urban branding. The research identified several approaches to warrant branding within the city.
The third level (Real level) of the research methodology involved creating three hypothetical conceptual models, illustrating the derivation of branding strategies and their relational connection with urban branding strategies, as well as the effectiveness of urban branding and the characteristics of intellectual development leading to the emergence of popularity. This was applied to selected cities: Tokyo in the first model, Barcelona in the second, and finally, the application of the final conceptual model to the branding of Baghdad within the Comprehensive Development Plan for Baghdad 2030.
The future impacts of the study suggest that understanding these models can guide future urban development strategies not only in Baghdad but also in other emerging cities worldwide. The exploration of the branding approaches in the city illustrates how urban branding strategies can create a unique identity for cities. These approaches address not only immediate urban challenges but also position the city as a model for future developments in initiatives of the world’s most popular cities.
The discussion committee consisted of esteemed professors:
- Prof. Dr. Widad Shukr Mahmoud - Chair
- Prof. Dr. Susan Abdul Hassan - Member
- Prof. Dr. Ahmed Abdul Ali Rashid - Member
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Mufeed Ihsan Al-Shouk - Member
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Nada Abdul-Mu'een Hassan - Member
- Prof. Dr. Asma Mohammed Hussein Abdul Razak - Member and Supervisor
We wish the researcher and all our graduate students success and achievement.
Discussion of the Doctoral Thesis Titled: "Management of External Spaces in the Historical Urban Context"
On Monday, October 28, 2024, the doctoral thesis of the student (Nada Khalil Al-Ali) was discussed, titled "Management of External Spaces in the Historical Urban Context." The research focused on the management of heritage and historical areas, reviewing previous studies on the management of these regions that advocated for the sustainable preservation of urban external spaces.
The thesis presented an overview of the concept of change management, including its methodologies, approaches, levels, and models for engaging with individuals, institutions, and administrative structures. A model was developed that includes three sequential phases of change management: (1) unfreezing, followed by (2) changing, and finally (3) refreezing. The concept of "tars" was chosen as a key element in the studies because it addresses historical layers, which aligns well with the research on historical urban external spaces that consist of overlapping layers of cultural and natural values and characteristics. Therefore, it was necessary to explore this concept and its indicators in relation to change management for historical urban external spaces.
The research concluded with a model that relies on the three strategies of tars and their mechanisms, based on the change management model, to preserve the values of historical urban external spaces. Additionally, it explored the possibility of implementing and benefiting from this model at a local level, specifically in one of Baghdad's historical urban sites, represented by Al-Mutanabbi Street. The goal was to develop a comprehensive vision for how to achieve change management for historical urban external spaces at this site, through the strategies of tars within the change management model, and to understand how to achieve transitional urban change management across its four levels, including individuals, institutions, and organizational structures.
Finally, the thesis presented the concluding findings related to both the theoretical and practical frameworks, as well as final recommendations and the potential beneficiaries of the proposed future research.
The discussion committee consisted of esteemed professors:
- Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Jawad Kazem - Chair
- Prof. Dr. Widad Shukr Al-Hinkawi - Member
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Dhurgham Mazhar Karim - Member
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Mufeed Ihsan Al-Shouk - Member
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Nada Abdul-Mu'een - Member
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Rawaa Fawzi Naoum - Supervising Member
We wish the researcher and all our graduate students success and achievement.
