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Zahra Institute
@zahrainstitute.bsky.social
Graduate School • Kurdish Studies and Critical Muslim Studies
🔗 zahrainstitute.org
📢 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞!

Our Spring Speaker Series kicks off on 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟏𝟏 with another inspiring group of scholars and practitioners.

📄 Check out the flyer for full details
🌐 Learn more: www.zahrainstitute.org

Help us spread the word and share widely.
January 28, 2026 at 4:14 PM
Missed our recent lecture with Dr. Janet Klein?

The full recording of, "Violence and Security in Kurdistan in the Long Twentieth Century," moderated by Jeannette Okur is now live.

Watch the full recording here 👇
🔗 youtu.be/pVkVQnuLDTg
JANET KLEIN | Violence and Security in Kurdistan in the Long Twentieth Century
YouTube video by Zahra Institute
youtu.be
January 24, 2026 at 8:47 PM
Join us for our special online panel:
“ALMOST FREE: A Conversation on Kurdish Contemporary Art”

Moderated by Şener Özmen.
Panelist bios: drive.google.com/file/d/15pFC...

🗓 Wednesday, Oct 15, 2025 | 12 PM CST / 1 PM EST
Register: zoom.us/meeting/regi...
October 7, 2025 at 10:28 PM
📢 Missed the talk live? Watch Dr. Salah Aziz presenting on the history of Kurdish Studies in the U.S. during the 1990s.
youtu.be/9oWhBkVkEIo
Dr. Salah Aziz | Kurdish Studies Programs in the USA During the 1990s
YouTube video by Zahra Institute
youtu.be
October 2, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Happening tomorrow — don’t miss it! Register now!
📢 Join us for another session this Wednesday!

“Kurdish Studies Programs in the USA During the 1990s.”

Dr. Aziz, a physicist and academic has played a key role in establishing Kurdish studies programs and cultural initiatives in the U.S. and Kurdistan.

🔗 Register: zoom.us/meeting/regi...
September 30, 2025 at 10:19 PM
📢 Join us for another session this Wednesday!

“Kurdish Studies Programs in the USA During the 1990s.”

Dr. Aziz, a physicist and academic has played a key role in establishing Kurdish studies programs and cultural initiatives in the U.S. and Kurdistan.

🔗 Register: zoom.us/meeting/regi...
September 29, 2025 at 6:09 AM
🎥 Watch the second talk of our Fall 2025 Speaker Series!
Prof. Mucahit Bilici – “Malik Kurd: On Kurdish Sovereignty”

youtu.be/Ma_zTVantZk
Mucahit Bilici | Malik Kurd: On Kurdish Sovereignty
YouTube video by Zahra Institute
youtu.be
September 23, 2025 at 2:17 AM
🎶 Watch the first talk of Zahra Institute’s Fall 2025 Speaker Series: “What’s so Kurdish about Kurdish Music?” by Dr. Jon Bullock.

m.youtube.com/watch
JON BULLOCK | What’s So Kurdish about Kurdish Music? Perspectives from Ethnomusicology
YouTube video by Zahra Institute
m.youtube.com
September 21, 2025 at 5:33 AM
Happening tomorrow!
📢 Join us for the second talk of our Fall 2025 Speaker Series!

Dr. Mucahit Bilici — Academic Director at Zahra Institute and Professor of Sociology at CUNY — will present:

“Malik Kurd: On Kurdish Sovereignty”

🗓️ Wednesday, Sep 17 | 12 PM CST / 1 PM EST

🔗 Register: zoom.us/meeting/regi...
September 16, 2025 at 6:12 PM
📢 Join us for the second talk of our Fall 2025 Speaker Series!

Dr. Mucahit Bilici — Academic Director at Zahra Institute and Professor of Sociology at CUNY — will present:

“Malik Kurd: On Kurdish Sovereignty”

🗓️ Wednesday, Sep 17 | 12 PM CST / 1 PM EST

🔗 Register: zoom.us/meeting/regi...
September 11, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Happening today!
🎶 At the first talk of Zahra Institute’s Fall 2025 Speaker Series, Jon Bullock will explore “𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝐾𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝐾𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐? 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐸𝑡ℎ𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦.”

🗓️ Wednesday, Sep 3 | ⏰ 12 PM CST / 1 PM EST
🔗 Register here: zoom.us/meeting/regi...
September 3, 2025 at 8:26 AM
🎶 At the first talk of Zahra Institute’s Fall 2025 Speaker Series, Jon Bullock will explore “𝑊ℎ𝑎𝑡’𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝐾𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝐾𝑢𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐? 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝐸𝑡ℎ𝑛𝑜𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑦.”

🗓️ Wednesday, Sep 3 | ⏰ 12 PM CST / 1 PM EST
🔗 Register here: zoom.us/meeting/regi...
August 31, 2025 at 8:52 AM
📢 We’re excited to launch Zahra Institute’s Fall 2025 Speaker Series this September!

Join us for a dynamic lineup of talks and panels with renowned scholars, artists, and experts exploring Kurdish music, education, contemporary art, madrasa culture, and more.

🔗 Learn more: www.zahrainstitute.org
August 31, 2025 at 8:51 AM
🎓 Students at Zahra Institute share their journeys in Kurdish Studies — from learning Kurmanji & Sorani to completing coursework, research, and theses. Hear firsthand what it’s like to be part of our MA and certificate programs.

📺 Watch here: youtu.be/3cgPFM4sAng
Kurdish Studies at Zahra Institute: What Our Students Say
YouTube video by Zahra Institute
youtu.be
August 16, 2025 at 9:05 PM
We’re hosting a student panel to spotlight the inspiring experiences of our MA and language students in Kurdish Studies — and you’re invited!

🗓 Wednesday, August 6 | 🕛 12–2 PM Chicago time
🔗 Register here: zoom.us/meeting/regi...
July 30, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Join us for the final lecture of Zahra Institute’s Spring Speaker Series: “Breakthroughs in Kurdish Lexicography” with Dr. Michael L. Chyet, retired Library of Congress cataloger and Kurdish linguist.

Dr. Chyet, author of Ferhenga Birûskî, will discuss new developments in Kurdish dictionary work.
May 23, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Join us for an insightful Zoom lecture by Dr. Jaffer Sheyholislami, a distinguished professor at Carleton University, as he explores "Language Ideologies and the Discursive Construction of the Persian Language Hegemony in Iran."

🔗 Scan the QR Code or join here: zoom.us/j/9730522462...
May 14, 2025 at 4:00 PM
📣 Join us for an important lecture by Dr. Benjamin Rassbach (Orient-Institute Beirut)

🔗Scan the QR code in the flyer or join here: zoom.us/j/9374378861...
April 23, 2025 at 3:31 PM
🎶 Ozan Aksoy's Lecture Now on YouTube!
"Music in the Lives of Alevi Kurds" is now available to watch.
Don't miss this powerful talk on music, identity, and resistance.
📺 Watch here: youtu.be/qL4KN0qhOfk?...

#OzanAksoy #AleviKurds #KurdishMusic #ZahraInstitute
Ozan Aksoy | Music In The Lives of Alevi Kurds
YouTube video by Zahra Institute
youtu.be
April 17, 2025 at 4:27 PM
🎥 Now on YouTube
Watch Dr. Cevat Dargın’s lecture,
“The Black Box of the Republic: Dersim '38 and the Making of the Modern Turkish State.”

Part of Zahra Institute’s Speaker Series, this talk examines the historical and political significance of the 1938 Dersim operation.

🔗 youtu.be/yLSqzVq_Ou8
Cevat Dargın | "The Black Box of the Republic":Dersim '38 and the Making of the Modern Turkish State
YouTube video by Zahra Institute
youtu.be
April 3, 2025 at 3:22 AM
📢 Join us 𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰 for an insightful talk by Dr. Cevat Dargin as part of our Spring Series! He will speak on, “’The Black Box of the Republic’: Dersim '38 and the Making of the Modern Turkish State.”

🔗 Scan the QR code or join here: zoom.us/j/9644116284...
April 1, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Cejna We Pîroz Be!
Eid Mubarak!
March 30, 2025 at 6:16 PM
In case you missed the live talk by Farangis Ghaderi, you can now view it here: youtu.be/tHslXbnhjIM

Dr. Ghaderi, from the University of Exeter, UK, explores the rich and often overlooked histories of Kurdish women—their narratives, struggles, and contributions in historical and literary contexts.
Untold Kurdish Women's Histories
YouTube video by Zahra Institute
youtu.be
March 20, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Zahra Institute welcomes Dr. Jonathan Phillips (Royal Holloway, University of London) for our Annual Lecture on Selahedîn (Saladin)—the medieval Kurdish ruler who defended Jerusalem and became renowned for his nobility of character.

🔗 Register now: www.eventbrite.com/e/the-life-a...
March 1, 2025 at 3:13 AM
In this featured talk, Dr. Ahmet Kuru discusses the growing alliance of populism, Islamism, and nationalism in Muslim-majority countries like Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Malaysia.

🎥 Watch here: youtu.be/SqrNyCGLdxY
Populism, Islamism, and Nationalism: A New Partnership Worldwide
YouTube video by Zahra Institute
youtu.be
February 5, 2025 at 9:41 PM