Master’s Degree Awarded to Mr. Kahlan Al-Shujaa in International Development Studies
Mr. Kahlan Abdulaziz Mohammed Abdullah Al-Shujaa was awarded a Master’s Degree in International Development Studies with an average of excellent for his thesis titled: The Role of Nongovernmental Organizations in Social Development: A Field Study in Capital Secretariat during the Period 2015-2022, which was submitted to the Inclusive Development Research Center – Sana’a University. The MA defense was held on Tuesday, January 13, 2026.
The MA Viva-voce Committee, which was formed based on a resolution issued by the Graduate Studies and Scientific Research Council, consisted of the following:
| # | Committee Members | Designation | Position |
| 1 | Assoc. Prof. Abdulsalam Ali Al-Faqih | External Examiner | Chair |
| 2 | Prof. Saleh Mohammed Hameed | Main Supervisor | Member |
| 3 | Dr. Iman Ahmed Al-Jufi | Internal Examiner | Member |
The study aimed to examine the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in achieving social development in the Capital Secretariat (Sana’)a during the period 2015–2022, by analyzing the actual status of social development programs implemented by these organizations and exploring the extent of their contribution to empowerment and to reducing social conflict within the community
The findings of the study revealed that the social development programs of the surveyed NGOs demonstrate an acceptable level of institutional and organizational readiness, although weaknesses were identified in the institutionalization of monitoring and evaluation systems. The study also indicated a gap between the declared commitment to transparency and accountability and the actual practice, in addition to the dominance of donor and funder priorities over planning policies.
Regarding empowerment, the results showed that NGOs contributed positively to empowering youth and women through training, livelihood programs, and awareness activities. However, this empowerment remained limited and unsustainable. The study further highlighted shortcomings and limited effectiveness of NGOs in reducing social conflict and fostering community peacebuilding.
In light of these findings, the researcher recommended:
- Enhancing development planning based on the actual needs of the community
- Developing mechanisms for monitoring, evaluation, and impact assessment.
- Improving the political and legal environment for local NGOs.
The defense session was attended by a number of academics, researchers, students, colleagues, and the researcher’s family.
