Harvard University launches Kurdish language course for doctoral students

The course will be taught by Associate Professor Dr. Ahmed Muhammedpur, a Kurdish scholar hailing from Syria.

Enrollment for the course has already commenced, marking a historic step for Kurdish language and culture at one of the world's leading educational institutions.

Taking to his social media platform, Dr. Ahmed Muhammedpur announced the groundbreaking initiative, highlighting that Harvard University is offering a Kurdish language course for doctoral candidates for the very first time.

For the curriculum, Dr. Muhammedpur has chosen the work of Dr. Haydar Xizri, a respected figure in the field. This course is seen as a significant stride forward for the Kurdish community.

Notably, both Assoc. Prof. Dr. Haydar Xizri and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ahmed Muhammedpur are faculty members at the University of Central Florida in the United States, and they are recognized for their strong advocacy of Kurdish culture and heritage.

This move by Harvard University not only enhances its academic diversity but also contributes to the promotion and preservation of the Kurdish language and culture on a global scale.

Kurdish is a language spoken by about 40 million people in the Middle East. It is the official language of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and is also spoken in parts of Turkey, Iran, Syria, and Armenia.

Kurdish is a member of the Iranian language family, which also includes Persian, Pashto, and Ossetian. There are two main dialects of Kurdish: Kurmanji and Sorani. Kurmanji is spoken in Turkey, Syria, and Iraq, while Sorani is spoken in Iran and Iraq.

Kurdish is a written language, and there are two main writing systems used: the Latin alphabet and the Arabic alphabet. The Latin alphabet is the most common writing system used for Kurdish, and it is used in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and in Turkey. The Arabic alphabet is used in Iran and Syria.

Kurdish is a rich and expressive language, and it has a long and vibrant literary tradition. There are many Kurdish poets, writers, and scholars, and Kurdish literature has been translated into many languages.

The Kurdish language is facing a number of challenges, including the lack of official recognition in some countries, the dominance of other languages in the media and education, and the internal divisions within the Kurdish community. However, the Kurdish language is also a symbol of Kurdish identity and culture, and it is a language that is spoken with pride by its speakers. (ILKHA)