Koya University's Kurdish Language Department Celebrates International Mother Language Day

KOYA,  The Kurdish Language Department of the Faculty of Education at Koya University hosted a workshop on International Mother Language Day on February 23, 2025, bringing together faculty and students to examine critical issues surrounding Kurdish language preservation and development.

The event was opened by Assistant Professor Dr. Talar Sabah Omar, Head of the Kurdish Language Department, following ceremonial observances that included the national anthem "Ey Reqib" and a moment of silence honoring Kurdish martyrs.

The workshop featured two academic panels addressing various aspects of Kurdish linguistics and cultural identity. The first panel, moderated by Assistant Professor Dr. Hemn Abdulhameed Shams, included presentations on "Language as a Marker of National Identity" by Assistant Professor Dr. Srusht Jawhar Hawez, "Economic Language" by Ayoub Smaqaye, and "Steps Toward Creating a Kurdish Language Corpus Using AI" by Dr. Nazira Sabr Mustafa from the Malay Gawra Center under the Directorate of Research and Development.

The second panel, moderated by  Dr. Talar Sabah Omar, featured presentations examining contemporary challenges facing the Kurdish language. Assistant Professor Dr. Darya Sabr Hamad presented "Threats Facing the Kurdish Language," while Dr. Fawziya Abdullah Mohammed discussed "Impacts and Obstacles Facing the Mother Tongue." Dr. Pakhshan Fahmi Farho concluded the session with "The Kurdish Language in the Past and Future: Challenges and Opportunities."

The workshop concluded with an interactive discussion session, allowing participants to engage with the presenters on various linguistic topics. Certificates of participation were awarded to all presenters in recognition of their contributions.

This initiative reflects Koya University's commitment to preserving and promoting Kurdish linguistic heritage through academic research and scholarly discourse.

About Koya University Koya University is a public institution located in Koya, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, committed to advancing education and research in the region.

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Koya University (KOU) is located in the city of Koya (Koy Sanjaq) which is 1.0 hr drive to the East of the Kurdistan Region capital Erbil (Arbil, Hewlér) in Kurdistan Region of F.R. Iraq. It is on the foothills of a beautiful high mountain. Its campus has been carefully laid out to embrace the beautiful mountainous nature.

There are 4 Faculties and 2 Schools in KOU; Faculty of Engineering (FENG), Faculty of Science and Health (FSCH), Faculty of Education (FEDU), Faculty of Humanities and Social Silences (FHSS), Shcool of Physical Education (SPHE) and School of Medicine (SMED).

Also, there are two research centers; Genome Center and Malai Gawra Center. Moreover, at KOU there is an English Language Center (BELC) at KOU has been opened with the sponsorship of IREX and American embassy in Baghdad as well as with the support of Spring International Language Center of The University of Arkansas. KOU has two Scientific Journals; ARO-The Scientific Journal of Koya University, which is indexed by Clarivate Analytics (ESCI), and Koya University Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (KUJHSS). KOU is a proactive member of Erasmus/ Marhaba Project and Erasmus+.

KOU signed many Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) with many International Universities, e.g., The University of Arkansas (June 2015). The Lulea University in Sweden (April 2014), The University of Nottingham in the UK, The University of Buckingham in the UK (Oct 2008), Belkin University in Turkey (Sep 2009) The University of Greenwich in the UK, Cihan University-Erbil (2021) and Tishk International University (2021).

Koya University is a memebr of The Association of Arab Universities and the International Association of Universities.

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