High-Level Doctoral Defense Held at Islamic University of Minnesota
The Deanship of Graduate Studies and Scientific Research at the main center of the Islamic University of Minnesota witnessed, on the evening of Tuesday, November 18, 2025, an academically distinguished defense session for the doctoral dissertation submitted by researcher Mohammed Mohammed Ali Qashmar from the Department of Law at the College of Sharia and Law. The defense took place at 9:00 p.m. Makkah time via the Zoom platform, in the presence of notable academic attendees and remarkable scholarly engagement.
The dissertation, entitled “Legislative Protection and Reparation for Victims of Armed Conflicts in International Law,” addressed one of the most pressing legal and humanitarian issues on the global stage. It offered an in-depth analytical study of the relevant international legal frameworks and mechanisms for compensating victims, within the context of legal rules and international conventions governing armed conflicts.
The examination committee consisted of a distinguished group of legal scholars, chaired by Associate Professor Dr. Mohammed Shoaib Abdulmaqsoud, Head of the Department of Law at the Islamic University of Minnesota. The dissertation was supervised by Dr. Salahuddin Rajab Fath Elbab, faculty member at the university. Internal discussion was conducted by Dr. Mohammed Rashid Mustafa Shaddad, faculty member at the Islamic University of Minnesota, while the external reviewers included Dr. Tareq El-Sayed Mahmoud Youssef, Assistant Professor of Criminal Law seconded to teach in faculties of law at Egyptian universities, and Dr. Mohammed Al-Saeed Abdulshefi’ Al-Qazaa, Assistant Professor of Criminal Law seconded to law faculties.
The defense session was marked by rich academic discourse. The researcher presented a systematic overview of his work, highlighting the legal challenges surrounding the protection of victims of armed conflicts and the mechanisms of compensation under international law. The committee then proceeded to discuss and analyze the dissertation’s scientific components, offering observations and guidance that would further enhance the scholarly value of the research.
At the conclusion of the defense, the committee praised the substantial academic effort exerted in preparing the dissertation and the rigorous legal treatment it provided for a highly sensitive and significant issue. The committee affirmed that this study represents a valuable contribution to the field of international humanitarian law and reflects the level of research excellence that the Islamic University of Minnesota upholds in its graduate programs.
