Zahra Institute

Graduate School

ANNUAL LECTURE 2024

Sabri Ates Explores the Origins of Kurdish Nationalism


On March 2, Zahra Institute hosted its Fourth Annual Lecture on the campus of Loyola University Chicago. Kurdish community members and academics from neighboring institutions gathered on a beautiful early Spring day to hear Sabri Ates, professor of history at Southern Methodist University, speak on "The Emergence of Kurdish Nationalism: The Sheikh Ubeidullah Uprising of 1880." In a talk illustrated with excerpts of recently discovered letters and a rare image of the Kurdish leader, Ates, a historian of the Ottoman-Iranian borderlands, gave a preview of his forthcoming book. His discussion of the rise of Kurdish national consciousness and agency in a context of two empires led to a lively Q and A and spirited discussion at a reception following the lecture.

Showcasing Spring 2024 MA Courses

KRD 504: Kurds in the Middle East: History and Politics

After the demise of the Ottoman, Russian, and Iranian Empires traditional states were replaced by nation states, boundaries turned into modern borders, and the Kurds were divided among five countries. While focusing on divisions and differences among the Kurds because of the creation of modern states in the Middle East, this course also tries to show cross-border interactions, cultural exchanges, and trans-national movements.

KRD 505: Kurdish Culture: Music, Cinema, Art

This Kurdish culture course consists of three thematic areas to be taught by a team of three instructors: Kurdish music, Kurdish cinema, and Kurdish art and architecture. Each cluster will offer an overview of its medium, then engage the contemporary arts scene by highlighting the work of select practitioners. Students will have the opportunity to take deep dives into Kurdish culture through readings, guest speakers and seminars.

KRD 503: Research Methods and Academic Conventions

Explores the nature of the research process, data collection, and the main tools of quantitative and qualitative research. The course offers an overview of the research process tailored to Kurdish Studies and related interdisciplinary areas, focusing on interviews, ethnography, and archival research. The second component of the course is a workshop in academic writing, the ethics and standards of scholarly production, and effective presentation techniques. 

MA in Kurdish Studies

The Master of Arts in Kurdish Studies at Zahra Institute is the first of its kind in the United States. It examines the lives and culture of the Kurds, a Middle Eastern people living in Kurdistan and beyond, spread across the borders of several modern states and linguistic and cultural zones.

The MA Program provides excellent background preparation for a doctoral degree in any field related to the Middle East and for those interested in pursuing careers in media, government, and international organizations. Our liberal arts approach to Kurdish Studies is based on rigorous academic standards and a strong commitment to scholarly freedom.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • The first MA Program in Kurdish Studies in the US
  • A unique focus on the humanities aspects of Kurdish Studies including literature, music, visual arts, and cinema
  • Covers a topic area long overlooked by traditional Middle Eastern Studies programs
  • Gain access to the language and culture of approximately forty million people
  • Convenience of an online synchronous program with the highest American academic standards

The MA program’s interdisciplinary approach bodes very well for the promising two-year journey that lies ahead.

MARWAN

MA Program Student

Being at Zahra Institute is a unique experience for me because I can learn about the history of my nation and share this knowledge with others.

NEDA

MA Program Student

The level of instruction, the level of professionalism of the professors was top of the line. I am very grateful that I was able to complete the Certificate in Kurdish Studies.

VIERELINA

Certificate Program Student

ZI Apex Fellowship


Zahra Institute's Apex Fellows are junior scholars who receive mentoring from ZI Faculty as they develop their research agendas and prepare work for publication. To express interest, please email info@zahrainstitute.org.

 Current Fellows


Zahra Institute welcomes two inaugural Apex Fellows for 2023-24. Fatma Kaya-Muguc studied psychology in Istanbul. Her current research interests include "the effects of the ISIS genocide and captivity on Kurdish and Yezidi women” and "the need for culturally-appropriate intervention strategies that might help these women process their trauma."Ahmet Ciftcioglu is a doctoral student in sociology at Loyola University in Chicago and is interested in social movements, the sociology of religion, and critical Muslim studies.

Fatma Kaya-Muguc

Kurdish Studies

Ahmet Ciftcioglu

Critical Muslim Studies




Artist Talk with Serhad Bapir

A Kurdish Visual Artist Tells His Story





When the Walnut Leaves Turn Yellow


Zahra Institute is proud to be among the sponsors of Mehmet Ali Konar’s forthcoming film, Dema Ko Pelên Dara Guzê Zer Dibin [When the Walnut Leaves Turn Yellow]. The award-winning Kurdish filmmaker’s recent work includes Hewno Bêreng (Colorless Dreams, 2018) and Govenda Ali û Dayka Zîn (The Dance of Ali and Mother Zin, 2021). 

Vierelina Fernández

Zahra Institute Certificate Program 2021 alumnus and graduate student at Florida International University

Our Kurdish Studies Certificate Program connects students with highly-trained, responsive faculty in a small-class setting that enables them to expand on their existing knowledge while exploring Kurdish language, culture, and civilization. For application information visit our Certificate Program page.


QWX Blog is an initiative of Zahra Institute. It provides a platform for researchers to share with a wider audience brief reports, timely observations, and commentary in their areas of expertise.

Participants in the 2018 Kurdish
Studies Summer School

Midya Khudhur speaks on “Collective
Memory of Kurds in Diaspora”
at 2019 International Kurdish Studies
Conference

Lukman Ahmad, Kurdish artist
and musician, plays saz at 2019
Summer School’s musical evening

Jeanine Ntihirageza, Director of
World Languages Program at NEIU,
addresses participants at the
opening of the 2019 Conference

Panel on “Kurdish Language in
Context” at 2019 IKSC

Bahadin Kerborani leads a discussion
on the Kurdish press in the late
Ottoman Empire

Mucahit Bilici teaches about
Ehmedê Xanî in his “Kurdish
Intellectual Profiles” course

Matthew Cancian (MIT), Aynur Unal
(University of Leicester), and Ekrem
Karakoc (Binghamton University)
presenting at a panel on “Conflict,
Politics and Identity”

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