We are pleased to cordially invite you to the 4th International Kurdish Studies Conference to be held on April 22-23, 2025, at University of Kurdistan Hewlêr in Erbil.
As the premier global academic gathering in the field of Kurdish studies, this conference serves as a platform for scholars and researchers to engage in insightful discussions, share scholarly research, and foster intellectual exchange. The event will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, research presentations, and workshops, providing an enriching academic experience for all participants.
The 4th International Kurdish Studies Conference aims to enhance UKH’s global academic profile by engaging with international scholars and researchers in Kurdish studies while fostering collaboration and intellectual exchange between local and international experts. It seeks to expand academic networks, connecting local researchers with the Kurdish diaspora and global scholars, and to promote academic diplomacy in alignment with the strategic goals of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Conference Organisers, Partners & Sponsors
This international conference is co-organised and hosted by the University of Kurdistan Hewlêr and the Kurdish Institute of Paris, with two partner organisations; the Centre of Peace Building and Dialogue, and the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the Kurdistan Regional Government.
In addition to the financial contribution made by the University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, financial sponsorship has also been received by France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, France’s Ministry of Higher Education and Research, and The French Embassy in Baghdad.
Please register HERE if you are willing to join us.
Download detailed agenda HERE.
Summarized Agenda:
22 April 2025
9:00 – 9:30 Registration/ Coffee
9:30 – 10:00 Opening Remarks (UKH Auditorium)
Zana Ibrahim, Interim President, UKH
Aram Mohammad Qadir, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Yann Braem, French Consul General, Erbil
Kendal Nezan, President of the Kurdish Institute of Paris
10:00 – 10:45 Plenary Session
Chair: Amir Calli, Kurdistan Ministry of Higher Education
Kurdish Studies: Legacies of the Past, Perspectives of the Future
Hamit Bozarslan, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris, France
10:45 – 11:00 Break
11:00 – 12:00 Parallel Sessions
12:00 – 13:00 Lunch Break
13:00 – 14:00 Parallel Sessions
14:00 – 14:15 Break
14:15 – 15:15 Parallel Sessions
15:15 – 15:30 Break
15:30 – 16:30 Parallel Sessions
16:45 – 17:45 Public Event (UKH Auditorium): Kurdistan in Transition
23 April 2025
09:30 – 10:15 Plenary Session (UKH Auditorium)
Chair: Nazand Begikhani, Sciences Po, Paris
On Oral Studies and Religious Minorities in Kurdistan
Khanna Omarkhali, Free University of Berlin, Germany
10:15 – 11:15 – Parallel sessions
11:15 – 11:30 Break
11:30 – 12:30 Parallel Sessions
12:30 – 13:30 Lunch Break
13:30 – 14:30 Parallel Sessions
14:30 – 14:45 Break
14:45 – 15:45 Parallel Sessions
15:45 – 16:00 Break
16:00 – 17:00 Parallel Sessions
17:15 Conference Concluding Remarks (UKH Auditorium)
Keynote Speakers
Prof. Hamit Bozarslan, Directeur d’études de l’EHESS, France
Prof. Khanna Omarkhali, Free University of Berlin, Germany
Conference Themes
We welcome submissions on a wide range of topics related to Kurdish studies, including but not limited to:
● Kurdish Society and Culture
● Kurdish Language and Literature
● Gender Studies within Kurdish Contexts
● Historical Perspectives on the Kurds
● Contemporary Kurdish Politics
● Regional and International Dynamics of Kurdistan
● Peacebuilding and Reconciliation
● Migration from, through and in Kurdistan
● Comparative Studies on the Kurds and Kurdistan
● Methodological Issues in Kurdish Studies
● Genocide and Memory Studies
● AI and Kurdish Studies
● Comparative Perspectives on the Historical and Current State of the Kurdish Self-determination Conflict
● Studies on the Global Kurdish Diaspora and the Role of Civil Society in Kurdistan
Venue
The conference will be held at the University of Kurdistan Hewlêr in Erbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Organising Committee
Salih Akin, University of Rouen-Normandy, France
Nazand Begikhani, Sciences Po, France
Amiri Cali, Amir Chali , Advisor, KRG Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research
Naif Bezwan, University of Vienna, Austria
Janroj Yilmaz Keles, Middlesex University, United Kingdom
Bayar Mustafa, Centre for Peacebuilding and Dialogue
Arzu Yilmaz, University of Kurdistan Hewlêr, Kurdistan
We look forward to your contributions and to welcoming you to the 4th International Kurdish Studies Conference in Hewlêr(Erbil).
