Master's thesis discussing the strategic importance of the South China Sea

A master's thesis at the College of Law and Political Science discussed the strategic importance of the South China

Sea in the policies of the superpowers (the United States and China) after 2008. The thesis, by student Sazan Sherzad Jalal, was presented in the Hammurabi Hall at the college.

The examining committee consisted of the following professors:
1. Prof. Dr. Ayad Abdul Karim / University of Kirkuk / College of Law and Political Science …Chairman

2. Asst. Prof. Dr. Wijdan Falih Hassan / University of Maysan / College of Political Science …Member
3. Prof. Dr. Burhan Ali Mohammed / University of Kirkuk / College of Law and Political Science …Member
4. Prof. Dr. Azhar Abdullah Hassan / Kirkuk University / College of Law and Political Science… Member and Supervisor

The thesis, discussed in the presence of the Dean of the College of Law and Political Science, Assistant Professor Dr. Murad Saeb Mahmoud, aimed to demonstrate the geostrategic importance of the South China Sea and the reasons for the escalating competition over it. It also analyzed the American strategic perception in the region and its objectives in countering Chinese influence, studied the nature of the Chinese strategic perception of the sea and its political, military, and economic dimensions, and assessed the American-Chinese presence in the South China Sea region.

The thesis concluded that the conflict in the South China Sea is not limited to being a border or economic dispute, but rather transcends these to constitute one of the most prominent manifestations of the reshaping of the balance of power in the international system. This conflict also reflects the nature of competition between major powers, particularly between China and the United States, within the framework of striving to maintain strategic interests and ensure influence in a region of increasing global importance.