A two-stage framework for unification is proposed involving grand unification, supersymmetry and extra dimensions, leading to a prediction for the strong gauge coupling, αKK s = 0.118±0.004±0.003, which is more successful and precise than that obtained from conventional supersymmetric grand unification, αSGUT s = 0.130 ± 0.004 ± ∆SGUT. Orbifold breaking of the unified gauge group leads to a non...