Since the fall of the Ba’ath regime, many Iraqi and Iraqi-Kurdish universities have established Political Science and International Relations programs to conceptualize political developments in the region and globally. Iraq has become a particularly interesting field of research for international political scientists since 2003, especially in the field of peace and conflict studies. The academic landscape, however, has often mirrored the country’s fragmentation.

The Iraq Political Science Day aims to bring this fragmented academic landscape into a greater exchange with one another. This workshop is jointly organized by political science and international relations departments from various universities in Iraq. The primary goal is to strengthen the exchange among students, researchers, and teachers. The format of an academic workshop will allow BA, MA, and PhD students to present their theses and discuss them with peers and faculty members. Researchers and students from other universities, including those outside Iraq, are also invited to participate if their work focuses on Middle Eastern affairs in general, and Iraqi topics in particular. For students and researchers from Iraq, this thematic restriction is not applied, and we explicitly welcome all topics within Political Science, International Relations, Political Economy, and Political Theory, including multidisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approaches. The invitation is aimed specifically at advanced BA, MA, and PhD students who are preparing to submit their work and wish to present it to a wider academic community for discussion. Current research projects by lecturers and researchers are also highly encouraged.

The workshop will be held in English, as it is an increasingly important academic language at Iraqi universities. However, contributions in Arabic and Kurdish (Soranî) are also possible. Please indicate in your abstract if you require simultaneous translation.

Submission Guidelines & Deadlines

Submissions must include a 300-400 word abstract and a short bio (max. 100 words) with contact information (e-mail). Please send your submission via email to: politicalscienceday@ukh.edu.krd

The deadline for abstract submission is April 20, 2025.

The Academic Committee, composed of faculty members from all organizing universities, will review submissions and inform you of the decision by April 25, 2025.

Selected participants are expected to submit a full paper of 5,000-6,000 words by May 25, 2025. The paper will be presented in a 15-minute session, followed by a 20-minute discussion on May 29, 2025.

As an alternative to the lectures, there is also the opportunity to submit and present posters at the workshop. If you wish to present your work as a poster, please submit an abstract and clearly indicate that it is a submission for a poster.

There will be no automatic publication of the articles from this workshop. However, selected papers may be considered for publication in an edited volume or a special issue of a scientific journal, depending on the topics, quality, and language of the submissions.

Scientific Committee

The Scientific Committee that will select the presentations consists of:

  • Dr. Martin Beck (Professor, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr)
  • Dr. Elizabeth Bishop (Dean of College of International Studies, American University of Iraq – Baghdad)
  • Dr. Hisham Ezz El-Din (Assistant Professor, University of Baghdad)
  • Dr. Muslih Irwani (Associate Professor, American University of Iraq – Baghdad)
  • Dr. Jalal Mistaffa (Dean of the College of Political Science, University of Sulaimani)
  • Dr. Beastun Omer Nuri (Head of the Department of International Relations, Salahaddin University – Erbil)
  • Dr. Mohammad Salih (Head of International Relations and Diplomacy, Tishk University)
  • Mr. Muhammad Sharif Ebrahimi (Head of the Department of International Relations, Catholic University in Erbil)
  • Dr. Thomas Schmidinger (Associate Professor, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr)
  • Dr. Hala S. Yousif (Professor, University of Baghdad)

Presented by: Thomas Schmidinger, PhD

Keywords: Iraq, Political Science, International Relations, Academic Workshop, Call for Papers, Academic Collaboration, Research, Kurdistan Region, Peace and Conflict Studies, Higher Education