Kurdish Students Union Day Date in the current year: February 18, 2024

The Kurds are a Middle Eastern ethnic group mostly inhabiting parts of southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and northern Syria. Iraqi Kurds live in Iraqi Kurdistan, an autonomous region governed by the Kurdistan Regional Government. It was de facto established in 1991.

Before the official establishment of the Kurdistan Regional Government, higher education in Iraqi Kurdistan was always taught in Arabic. However, the situation changed with the proclamation of Kurdistan’s autonomy. Today, Kurdish students have an option of studying Sorani, a Kurdish language spoken in Iraq.

There are about 20 universities in Iraqi Kurdistan. The oldest one is the University of Sulaimani. It was founded in 1968, then effectively shut down in the 1980s because of political activities against the regime, and reopened in 1992.

The Kurdish Students Union unites all students of Iraqi Kurdistan and protects their interests. Similar student organizations exist in other parts of Kurdistan, as well as abroad.