Faculty of Kurdish Studies

01Departments

• 01

  Department of Kurdish Languages

  Every Kurdish variety and script, and the study of them.

  6 disciplinesOne subject of the Academy, with its fields, courses and communities of practice.10 coursesA set of lessons with an outline, written and reviewed by peers; it carries no academic credit.

• 02

  Department of Kurdish History and Memory

  The Kurdish past, and how its hardest chapters are remembered.

  4 disciplines19 courses

• 03

  Department of Kurdish Literatures and Arts

  Written and oral literature, music, dance, cinema and crafts.

  6 disciplines9 courses

• 04

  Department of Kurdish Faiths and Cultures

  Religious life and everyday culture among Kurds.

  2 disciplines8 courses

• 05

  Department of Kurdish Society, Land and Diaspora

  Kurdish society, the land of Kurdistan and the communities abroad.

  3 disciplines16 courses

02Disciplines

Department of Kurdish Languages 6

• ProposedA proposal only, which exists once the governing body the charter names decides.

  Kurdish language and linguistics

  Kurdish linguistics studies the grammar, dialects, standards and history of the Kurdish varieties.

  0 courses5 fieldsA narrower topic within a discipline.

• Open

  Kurmanji

  Kurmanji, or Northern Kurdish, is usually written in the Latin alphabet.

  3 courses4 fields

• Open

  Sorani

  Sorani, or Central Kurdish, is usually written in an Arabic-based Kurdish alphabet.

  3 courses3 fields

• Open

  Southern Kurdish

  Southern Kurdish varieties, including Kalhuri and Feyli, are spoken mainly in western Iran and eastern Iraq.

  1 course3 fields

• Open

  Zazaki and Gorani

  Zazaki and Gorani, including Hawrami, are spoken in Kurdish communities, and linguists debate how they relate to Kurdish.

  2 courses4 fields

• Open

  Kurdish scripts

  Kurdish is written in three scripts: Latin, Arabic-based and Cyrillic.

  1 course5 fields

Department of Kurdish History and Memory 4

• Open

  Kurdish history

  Kurdish history spans the Zagros and Taurus from antiquity to the present, across four states and the diaspora.

  1 course4 fields

• Open

  Early and medieval Kurdistan

  This field studies the Zagros and Taurus from early history through the medieval Kurdish dynasties and emirates.

  3 courses4 fields

• Open

  Modern Kurdish history

  Modern Kurdish history follows Kurds from the end of the Ottoman Empire into the states that followed, with every side and its sources.

  8 courses6 fields

• Open

  Memory and genocide studies

  Memory and genocide studies examine mass atrocities against Kurdish and neighbouring communities, with survivors’ communities and trauma-informed care.

  7 courses6 fields

Department of Kurdish Literatures and Arts 6

• Open

  Kurdish literatures

  Kurdish literatures run from the classical poetry of Ehmedê Xanî and the Baban school to the modern novel.

  4 courses5 fields

• Open

  Kurdish oral tradition

  Dengbêj singers carry epic, lament and song in the Kurdish oral tradition.

  1 course4 fields

• Open

  Kurdish music

  Kurdish music includes the maqam, the tanbur and the daf, and song traditions of every region.

  1 course4 fields

• Open

  Kurdish dance

  Govend and the other Kurdish dances are danced in lines and circles at weddings and festivals.

  1 course3 fields

• Open

  Kurdish cinema

  Kurdish cinema has grown in four states and in exile, often in several languages.

  1 course4 fields

• Open

  Kurdish crafts and dress

  Kurdish crafts include kilims, carpets, dress and embroidery, each with regional styles.

  1 course3 fields

Department of Kurdish Faiths and Cultures 2

• Open

  Faiths of Kurdistan

  The faiths of Kurdistan include Islam and its Sufi orders, Alevism, Yazidism, Yarsan, Judaism and Christianity, each represented by its own community.

  5 courses6 fields

• Open

  Kurdish food and everyday culture

  Kurdish kitchens, hospitality and the customs of everyday life, from village bread ovens to the Newroz picnic.

  3 courses4 fields

Department of Kurdish Society, Land and Diaspora 3

• Open

  Kurdish society and politics

  This field compares Kurdish society and politics across states, descriptively and with no party line.

  5 courses5 fields

• Open

  Land and environment of Kurdistan

  This field studies the mountains, rivers, lakes and forests of Kurdistan and the risks they face.

  4 courses4 fields

• Open

  Kurdish diaspora studies

  Kurdish diaspora studies examine why Kurds left, where they settled and how each community took shape.

  7 courses6 fields

03Classification

Where the faculty sits in the international lists of fields.

04Courses

A completion recordA record of what was studied and assessed in a course or pathway; it is not a certificate or a qualification. shows what was studied and assessed. It is not a certificate or a qualification.

05Communities of practice

• Community of practice: Education and Language Standards

  A proposed community of practiceA group of practitioners of one field who work together on courses, standards and toolkits; the charter calls it a Standards area. on course quality and standards for Kurdish varieties and scripts.

  Proposed

• Community of practice: Culture, Heritage and Archives

  A proposed community of practice on heritage records, oral history and archives.

  Proposed

• Community of practice: Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Adaptation

  A proposed community of practice on disaster risk and climate adaptation across Kurdistan.

  Proposed