University of Duhok – August 16, 2026, University Press Office | In coordination

between the University of Duhok and the University of Zakho, and with the

support of the Duhok Governorate and the Zakho Independent Administration, on

August 12, 2026, in a special and fitting ceremony at the University of Duhok

Conference Center, the "Kurdish Language Orthography Guide - Kurmanji Dialect in

Arabic Script" was officially announced.

The ceremony was held in the presence of the Governor of Duhok, Dr. Ali Tatar; Advisor to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Dr. Sabah Wais; President of the University of Duhok, Dr. Dawood Sulaiman Atrushi; President of the University of Zakho, Dr. Diyar Abdulkarim Saeed; Representative of the Supervisor of the Zakho Independent Administration, Mr. Fares Yuhanna Balyos; and the Deputy of the KDP Organizing Bureau, Dr. Vian Sulaiman. It was also attended by a significant number of government, academic, and partisan officials, as well as writers, intellectuals, and journalists.

Speeches and the Importance of the Project

During the ceremony, official speeches were delivered by the Governor of Duhok and the Representative of the Zakho Independent Administration. In their speeches, they emphasized the significance of this historic project in unifying and standardizing Kurdish

language orthography across official institutions, educational centers, and

media outlets. Furthermore, as a gesture of support for this highly important

project, the Duhok Governorate undertook the task of printing (5,000) copies of

this guide.

In another part of the ceremony, the scientific content and foundations of the guide were introduced and analyzed by Prof. Dr. Abdulsalam Najmaddin Abdulla.

Following this, Dr. Dawood Sulaiman Atrushi, acting as the head of the Higher

Committee for the guide, presented several practical suggestions on how to implement this guide across regional institutions.

The Higher Committee and the Preparatory Committee of the Project

This project is the product of the hard work and dedication of several experts and linguists

from both the Universities of Duhok and Zakho. On February 3, 2025, the

University of Duhok formed a Higher Committee for planning and managing this

project, consisting of the following esteemed members:

1. Dr. Dawood Sulaiman Atrushi (President of the University of Duhok) – Chair

of the Committee

1. Dr. Diyar Abdulkarim Saeed (President of the University of Zakho) – Member
2. Dr. Abu Ubaidah Abdulla Ziyab (Dean of the College of Languages - University

of Duhok) – Member

1. Dr. Abdulsalam Najmaddin Abdulla (Head of the Zakho Center for Kurdish

Studies) – Member

1. Mr. Muayad Tayib (Member of the Presidential Board of the Kurdish Academy) –

Member

Moreover, the Preparatory Committee of this scientific guide, which consists of

(14) experts and lecturers, includes:

- Dr. Abdulsalam Najmaddin Abdulla

- Dr. Hussein Osman Abdulrahman

- Dr. Abu Ubaid Abdulla Ziyab

- Dr. Sherzad Sabri Ali

- Dr. Vian Ibrahim Ali

- Dr. Shoreshvan Adel Ahmed

- Dr. Fazil Omar

- Dr. Nawzad Hirori

- Dr. Ismail Taha Shaheen

- Mr. Arshad Islam Shukri

- Mr. Ajeeb Abdulla

Objectives of the Kurdish Language Orthography Guide The main objective of preparing this guide is to unify and standardize orthography across regional universities, media channels, school curricula, and all official documents and correspondence in the Bahdinan region. This aims to eliminate the existing confusion and discrepancies in spelling certain words (for example: variations like پێشکێشکرن/پێشکەشکرن, or writing "ئەز" incorrectly as "ئەس"). The project's

objectives can be briefly summarized as follows:

1. Facilitating and managing administrative and educational affairs using a

unified spelling system.

1. Providing a standard and unified guide for students and teachers of the

Kurdish language departments.

1. Raising the writing standards of students in the Kurdish language

department, enabling teachers to focus more on correct spelling and thereby

eliminating inconsistencies.

1. Training government employees on the correct orthography of the Kurdish

language.

1. Implementing and utilizing this orthography in educational curricula in an

official and scientific manner.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, appreciation awards were distributed by the Duhok Governorate to the members of the preparatory committee in recognition of their tireless efforts and scientific work. Finally, a press conference was held by the Governor of Duhok and the preparatory committee to answer questions from media agencies.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MEDIA COVERAGE FOR THIS EVENT

University Press Office, August 16, 2026
Reported by: Fatima Mahmood Ali
Photography: Mohammed A. Tahar