04th /Sep/2025 (Thursday/9:30 AM /Viva Room QA FKEE, UTHM)

PhD Viva Successfully Completed

Today I am humbled and proud to share that I have successfully defended my Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Electrical Engineering at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM). I am deeply grateful to my supervisor, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lukman Audah, for his constant support, belief in me, and for awarding me the GRA position that fully funded my PhD studies. Out of 50+ applicants, he believed in me, and his mentorship has shaped both my academic research and personal growth. I also sincerely thank my co-supervisors, Dr. Adeb Salh and Dr. Nan Bin Mad Sahar, for their guidance throughout this journey.

I am deeply grateful to my examiners, Prof. Dr. Rosilah Hassan (UKM, Universirty) and Ass Prof. Dr. Nor Surayahani Suriani, for their insightful feedback and constructive discussions, as well as to my thesis defence chair, Ass. Prof. Dr. Shaharil Mohd Shah, for his support throughout the process. On 18 March 2021, I defended my Master’s degree (as I shared in this LinkedIn post [https://lnkd.in/gC_y7inA]). Close to two years later, I began my PhD with the determination to make meaningful contributions. From that moment, the lab became my second home. I worked daily from 8:00 am to 6:30 pm, including weekends. Most weekends, I was alone, yet I found strength in the silence. Some nights I stayed until midnight to finish what I started. Each week and month was carefully planned, and I never left until my tasks were complete. That discipline shaped not only my research but also my character. I completed my pre-viva on 30 June 2025, and on 4 September 2025, I reached the most important milestone, my final viva voce.

I was fortunate to publish more than 15 research articles, most as first author. These include five Q1 journals, with four first-author papers in IEEE Access addressing SDN security and DDoS detection. I also published in Elsevier, Physical Communication and presented at IEEE international conferences. In addition to publishing, I completed over 100 peer reviews for WoS indexed journals. This work allowed me to contribute back to the research community while sharpening my own perspective.

This success belongs to my supervisors, colleagues, family, and friends whose support sustained me. From my early studies in Pakistan, to returning home in Somalia, and now completing my PhD in Malaysia, this journey has been one of persistence and faith. What once felt like a dream is now history. Finally, I want to thank my family for their endless prayers and encouragement, and friends.

   18th /March/2021 (Thursday/9:30 AM /Conference Room QB BUKC)

Today I have successfully defended my MS thesis entitled "Performance Analysis of Massive MIMO on Terahertz Communications"  with outstanding and thus earned a MS degree in Electrical Engineering (Major in Communication System Engineering) with honor (𝐜𝐮𝐦 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫) from Bahria University Karachi, Pakistan. One of the proudest moments in my life! I would like to thank my family, mentor (Professor Dr. Haroon Rasheed) and the committee. After two years of hard work, sacrifice, adventures, and misadventures, it was all worth it for this journey that will stay with me for the rest of my life.