PhD candidate Le Xuan Thuan successfully defends doctoral dissertation at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam

On October 1, 2025, at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam, PhD candidate Le Xuan Thuan successfully defended his doctoral dissertation at the Academy level in the field of International Relations, code 9.31.02.06, with the topic “Russia–U.S. Strategic Competition in the Middle East from 2015 to the Present,” under the scientific supervision of Prof. Dr. Vu Duong Huan and Dr. Ngo Duy Ngo.

The Committee highly appreciated the scientific and practical contributions of the dissertation. This is a systematic research work from the perspective of a Vietnamese scholar on Russia-U.S. strategic competition in the Middle East from 2015 to the present.

Given that there are currently very few academic studies on Russia-U.S. strategic competition in the Middle East particularly in Vietnam this dissertation offers significant scientific and practical reference value.

From a scientific perspective, the dissertation contributes by:
(i) Clarifying several theoretical issues related to strategic competition (SC), from definitions to explanations through two international relations theories Realism and Geopolitical Theory;
(ii) Proposing a new analytical framework that combines insights from Realism and Geopolitical Theory, thereby improving the explanatory power of great-power competition;
(iii) Systematically applying this analytical framework to the case of Russia-U.S. strategic competition in the Middle East (2015 - present), thus enriching academic discourse and expanding the applicability of theory to other strategic regions.

From a practical perspective, the dissertation contributes by:
(i) Clarifying the nature of strategic competition among major powers in the Middle East in the new context, and analyzing the impacts of Russia-U.S. competition on the regional landscape from 2015 to the present;
(ii) Offering scientifically grounded forecasts on the trends of Russia-U.S. strategic competition in the Middle East through 2030;
(iii) Developing policy implications for Vietnam, thereby providing valuable reference material for strategic planning toward the Middle East as well as in relations with major powers in the Asia–Pacific region;
(iv) Supplementing materials and scientific foundations for research on Russia-U.S. strategic competition in the Middle East from 2015 to the present, especially in the context of limited research on this topic in Vietnam;
(v) Serving as a valuable reference for researchers, policymakers, and organizations interested in the Middle East and in the foreign policies of Russia and the United States toward the region.

The defense ceremony took place in a serious academic atmosphere and in full compliance with regulations on doctoral training. The candidate presented the key research findings of the dissertation and responded well to the Committee’s questions. The Committee concluded that PhD Candidate Le Xuan Thuan fully deserves to be awarded the Doctor of Philosophy degree in International Relations.

Readers interested may access the full dissertation at the Library of the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and the National Library of Vietnam.