Kurdish Language Department Opens at Beijing Foreign Studies University

PUKMEDIA

New Kurdish Language Department Strengthens Academic Ties Between Kurdistan and China.

The Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research announced on Wednesday the opening of a Kurdish Language Department at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU).

According to a statement received by PUKMEDIA, the ministry said the department was established in cooperation with Salahaddin University-Erbil, making it the first university department dedicated to Kurdish language studies in China.

The ministry said the initiative would serve as an important academic and cultural bridge between the Kurdistan Region and the People’s Republic of China.

Under the academic plan for the 2026–2027 academic year, 12 students have enrolled in the department, with plans to admit between 10 and 20 Chinese students each year.

Students will study the Sorani dialect during their first three years before studying Kurmanji in their fourth year, allowing graduates to develop a comprehensive understanding of the main dialects of the Kurdish language.

The ministry said the initiative aims to establish a reciprocal academic relationship between the two sides. While Kurdish students will travel to China to pursue their studies, plans are also in place to bring Chinese students studying Kurdish in Beijing to the Kurdistan Region, where they can engage with the Kurdish social and academic environment and further develop their language skills.

The ministry also highlighted the growing interest in Chinese language studies at Salahaddin University. The university’s Chinese Language Department now has more than 100 students and has already graduated two cohorts, with a third cohort expected to graduate soon.


PUKMEDIA