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On Saturday, March 15, 2025, the Master's thesis of the student Amani Kamal Mustafa was defended. The thesis was titled:
"Regenerating Historic City Centers: Historic Preservation as a Strategy for Building the Marketing Brand and Achieving Sustainable Development."
The thesis explored the role of historic preservation not only in maintaining heritage buildings but also in its effective role in building the marketing brand of historic city centers in order to regenerate these centers and achieve sustainable development. This is particularly relevant given that Iraq is the cradle of civilizations and the beginning of human history, with a rich historical and cultural heritage distributed from north to south.
The significance of the thesis lies in reconnecting Iraq — as the beginning of civilization — with the world, through its architectural and historical heritage. The thesis also provided a comprehensive vision of how to build a marketing brand for historic city centers through historic preservation strategies.
The study utilized knowledge-based frameworks, concepts, and indicators that emerged from previous studies and both Arab and foreign experiences in creating a theoretical framework for the study. The key elements discussed in the framework were:
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Characteristics of buildings that meet international historic preservation standards.
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The comprehensiveness of historic preservation as a strategy for building a marketing brand for historic city centers.
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Levels of historic preservation to form the core of the marketing brand for historic city centers.
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Criteria for successfully building a marketing brand for historic city centers.
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Activating the role of modern technology in building a marketing brand for historic city centers.
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Historic preservation as a strategy for building the core of the marketing brand and regenerating historic city centers.
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Phases of managing the marketing brand for historic city centers.
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Sustainable impact of building a marketing brand through historic preservation strategies for regenerating historic city centers.
The study concluded with several important findings, particularly in the context of Iraq. Despite significant losses in heritage buildings within historic city centers, the goal of historic preservation strategies is not limited to preserving the buildings but includes broader objectives. Historic preservation strategies work to create the core and reference for revitalizing other parts of the context, that is, "reviving the whole through the part." Therefore, the result of historic preservation and revitalization is the creation of a marketing brand used to regenerate historic city centers.
The process of building a marketing brand for historic city centers involves two key phases:
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Phase One (Building the Marketing Brand):
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Building the core of the marketing brand through historic preservation strategies.
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Revitalizing other parts of the context by preserving buildings and using them as references for regenerating the remaining context.
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Phase Two (Managing the Marketing Brand): Even if the first phase is completed in all its details, it is not sufficient on its own. The second phase, which is the management of the marketing brand, is essential. This includes professional management, coordination among local authorities, and the activation of marketing communications and international relations. International cooperation with other countries can help connect local contexts to the world and benefit from their expertise in the same field.
The thesis defense committee consisted of the following esteemed members:
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Asst. Prof. Dr. Mufeed Ihsan Shawk – Chair
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Asst. Prof. Dr. Haider Jasim Issa – Member
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Dr. Lina Ghanem Yaqub – Member
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Dr. Venus Suleiman Akef – Member and Supervisor
The thesis was defended successfully, and the candidate was awarded the Master's degree in Architecture Engineering.
Under the patronage of the esteemed President of the University of Technology, Prof. Dr. Mohsen Noori Hamza, and supervised by the respected Assistant Scientific Vice President, Prof. Dr. Khawla Salah Khashan, a lecture titled "The Role of the United Nations in Protecting Human Rights" was delivered by Asst. Lecturer Hudaifa Mohsen Said on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 11:00 AM. The lecture was held in the Graduate Studies Hall of the Department of Architecture Engineering and was attended by the esteemed Administrative Assistant, Dr. Yahya Adel Ibrahim, along with a group of faculty members, staff, and students from all academic levels of the department.
The department expresses its sincere thanks and appreciation to the lecturer and to the Human Rights Division at the University of Technology. We wish everyone continued success and prosperity.
Under the patronage of the esteemed Head of the Department of Architecture Engineering, Prof. Dr. Abbas Ali Hamza, and supervised by the respected Administrative Assistant, Asst. Prof. Dr. Yahya Adel Ibrahim, the esteemed Student Activities Coordinator, Asst. Prof. Dr. Huda Mohammed Suleiman, and the Media Unit Coordinator, Asst. Lecturer Inas Ali Salman, with exceptional efforts from the Maintenance and Services Unit of the department and the collaborative efforts of the department's students, particularly the fourth-year students, namely: Laith Rayed, Zahra Haider, Ahmed Ali, and Ahmed Hassan, the department organized a Ramadan evening on Thursday, March 20, 2025, in celebration of the blessed month of Ramadan.
The event was attended by the esteemed Scientific Assistant, Asst. Prof. Dr. Mufeed Ihsan Shawk, along with several faculty members, department staff, and students from all academic levels.
The evening featured various activities, starting with the call to prayer, followed by a recitation of the Quran by student Zain Al-Abidin Ammar. The Head of the Department then delivered a speech to officially begin the Iftar. The evening also included a special tribute to the souls of the two late students, Ali Nabil Salem and Ibrahim Lata, may they rest in peace, with the students distributing rewards (thawab) for their souls.
Additionally, the evening included a celebration to honor the retiring professors, Prof. Dr. Safa Al-Din Al-Samarrai and Asst. Prof. Dr. Shamail Mohammed Wajeh, may they be blessed for their years of service.
We pray to Allah to return this blessed month to everyone with goodness and blessings.
On Tuesday, March 18, 2025, the Department of Architecture Engineering at the University of Technology held the defense of the master's thesis by graduate student Sarah Samir Hussein from the Architectural Technology branch. Her thesis was titled:
"The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Conceptual Design in Architecture"
Research Summary:
The thesis analyzed the impact of artificial intelligence on conceptual design by comparing human-designed concepts with outputs generated by AI tools. The study involved assigning a group of architects to develop design ideas for architectural projects using their creative methods. These ideas were then input into AI tools (such as MidJourney and DALL-E) to assess their ability to replicate and develop human designs.
The study also included interviews with architecture professors, focusing on the ethical considerations and challenges posed by these tools, particularly related to intellectual property, design identity, and human creativity in the face of increasing reliance on AI. Additionally, a survey was conducted with a group of architects who use AI tools, exploring their views on how these tools affect the design process, creative decision-making, and future dependency on AI.
Research Objectives and Results:
The research aimed to evaluate the integration of AI into traditional design processes, measuring its impact on design speed, output quality, and the ability to maintain a clear architectural identity. The results showed that AI contributes to speeding up the design process and offers diverse options, but it still lacks deep creativity and the ability to perceive cultural and architectural values as human designers do.
Interviews with professors revealed real ethical concerns regarding intellectual property rights, the reliance on AI tools instead of developing designers' skills, and the potential loss of local identity in designs if these technologies are not used cautiously. The survey indicated that most architects view AI as an assisting tool rather than a replacement, using it to develop ideas and improve productivity, but they do not fully trust it for making final design decisions.
Defense Committee:
The thesis defense committee consisted of the following esteemed members:
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Prof. Dr. Abdullah Saadon Salman – Department of Architecture Engineering, University of Technology – Chairman
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Asst. Prof. Dr. Zuhair Abdul Azim Nassar – College of Urban Planning, University of Kufa – Member
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Asst. Prof. Dr. Lahib Ali Abdul Hussein – Department of Architecture Engineering, University of Technology – Member
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Asst. Prof. Dr. Ahmed Louay Ahmed – Department of Architecture Engineering, University of Technology – Member and Supervisor
After reviewing the content of the thesis, the committee decided to accept the thesis and award the student a Master's degree in Architecture Engineering, with a specialization in Architectural Technology.
