Germany is set to open the first-ever Kurdish university in 2026, offering a unique academic experience for Europe’s Kurdish population, Mezopotamya Agency reported on Wednesday. The university is expected to start its academic journey in the 2026 academic year, with the planning team working intensively on budget creation, course development, and educational infrastructure.
The project’s leadership committee is nearing completion, with the governance structure in place. Dr Yûnis Behram, president of the Deutsch-Kurdisches-Forum e.V., described the university as more than an academic institution. He emphasised its significance as a cultural and intellectual turning point for Europe’s Kurdish community. The idea for a Kurdish university first emerged during the Rojava Revolution, when Kurdish families in northern Syria began asking how their children could continue their education in higher institutions after attending Kurdish-language primary schools. Behram noted that this university aims to provide a concrete response to that question.
Initially, the plan was to create a Kurdish Studies Institute in Germany. However, over time, it transformed into an independent university with support from Kurdish and German academics, diplomats, and politicians. The university’s curriculum will focus on Kurdish language and culture, and will also offer programmes in social sciences, engineering, and literature, with instruction in Kurdish, German, and English. Notably, it will also offer opportunities for students graduating from Kurdish-language institutions in Kurdish-led North and East Syria and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Courses will be available in both the Kurmancî and Soranî dialects of Kurdish, with a three-language model that includes German and English. Students will be awarded internationally recognised degrees, and the academic quality will meet German standards. The long-term vision for the institution includes the development of a unified academic Kurdish language bridging Kurmancî and Soranî dialects.
Dr Behram further stated that this university is not just an educational institution but a significant step towards the visibility of Kurdish language and identity in Europe. It will strengthen the cultural and academic collaboration between the German and Kurdish communities, contributing to the broader visibility of Kurdish in public life.
