Graduates of Mardin Artuklu University’s Kurdish Language and Literature Department in Turkey are dissatisfied with the non-specific degree requirements for research assistant roles, feeling it sidelines their specialisation. This concern was raised in a statement issued in Kurdish on Monday, questioning the absence of a bachelor’s degree requirement and its implications for those devoted to the study of Kurdish Language and Literature.
The university’s recent job posting for 24 research positions, including one in the Kurdish Language and Literature Department, required applicants to be active master’s students with specific exam scores but did not require a Kurdish Language and Literature bachelor’s degree. This omission stands out, especially since 17 other departments have specific degree requirements.
Over a thousand students who have graduated from the Kurdish Language and Literature Department since 2011 are now facing a situation where their specialisation and academic efforts may not be adequately valued in the hiring process. The graduates are pressing for a change in hiring criteria, emphasising that those who have dedicated years to studying Kurdish Language and Literature deserve recognition and fair consideration for research positions.
