Successful Kurdish studies despite C19-pandemic

by Roni Alasor

Brussels, 8 May 2020 - Middle East Diplomatic - Since March 2020, the C-19 pandemic imprisoned hundreds millions of people at home without to mention the psychological and physical impacts of their daily live. While all, the Kurdoligie Department  of National Institute of Eastern Languages and Civilisations INALCO, connected to Sorbon University in Paris, gave a successful opportunity to more than 340 teachers, students, academics, researchers, journalists and specialists in the Kurdish field to study in online.

The students are studying methodology in Kurdish language, research, classic and modern Kurdish literature, sociology, philosophy psychology/trauma and anthropology. The study of the Kurdish language, which has been forbidden by the colonialist countries in centurries is composed of four main dialects: Upper Kurdish (Kurmanji or Badini), Central Kurdish (Sorani), Lower (Southern) Kurdish, and Zazaki-Gorani.

The study started in the beginning of April and it will end on 22 of May 2020. The online-students are participating from all over the world, but many students from Rojava Kurdistan region which has been seriously damaged in war against the Islamic terror state called Daesh/ISIS.

Online Kurdology project is lead by Ass Prof. Ibrahim Seydo Aydogan from INALCO, but many Kurdish and none-Kurdish teachers involved in the project : Ibrahim Seydo AYDOGAN (Inalco, France), Michael Chyet (Kurdish specialist, researcher and former professor at Inalco), Abdilwehab Khaled Moussa (University of Nawroz, Iraqi Kurdistan), Michiel Leezenberg (University of Amsterdam, Netherlands), Jan Ilhan Kizilhan (University of Stuttgart, Germany), Janroj Yilmaz Keles (University of Middlesex, London), Hashem Ahmadzadeh (University of Uppsala, Sweden), Jaffar Sheykholislami (University of Carlton, Canada), Hacer Petekkaya (University of Rojava, Syrian Kurdistan, Joanna Bochenska (University of Joalingen, Poland), Engin Sustam (University of Paris 8, France) and Dawid Yesilmen (University of Essen, Germany).

Speaking to journalist Zozan Yasar, Dr Seydo Aydogan told that: “We wanted to propose a new and modern perspective on teaching methods and on Kurdish Studies in general. Our Kurdish online study is also giving a great opportunity and support to the University of Rojava to develop academic and Kurdish studies. This project is envisaged to help Rojava University, in order to raise future researchers and teachers in Rojava,”.

Dr. Aydogan underlined the importance why they are supporting the Rojava university : “Because in Rojava, one of the serious problems is the lack of specialists in academic fields, there are very few people who hold university qualifications. With the sudden global lockdown, we have decided to propose a complete syllabus in Kurdish Studies, especially in sociology, linguistics, literature, psychology, anthropology, and methodology,”.  

 

Sources : INALCO/Paris, journalist Zozan Yasar, Voice of America/Kurdi