A Chinese university is set to formally admit students to a Kurdish language and literature program for the first time this September, marking a significant development for Kurdish studies in China and a new academic link between China and the Kurdistan Region.

The Kurdish Language and Literature Department at Beijing Foreign Studies University was established in 2017 as part of the university’s international language studies programs. Following several years of preparations, China’s Ministry of Education has formally approved the program, with the first cohort scheduled to begin their studies in September 2026.

The university plans to admit between 10 and 20 students each year to the Kurdish language department.

Under the four-year curriculum, students will study the Sorani dialect during their first three years before adding Kurmanji in their fourth year. The program is designed to provide students with an academic grounding in both of the major Kurdish dialects.

The formal approval of the program represents a new stage in the development of Kurdish studies at the Beijing-based university. Until now, academic activities related to Kurdish language and literature had largely remained at a preparatory or informal level.

The program will be launched through an online admissions system, allowing the university to begin formal enrollment for the first group of students this year.

The establishment of a dedicated Kurdish language program at a major Chinese foreign languages university is also expected to strengthen academic exchanges between China and the Kurdistan Region and create new opportunities for research and cooperation in Kurdish language and literature.

The development has been welcomed by experts as an important academic bridge between the Kurdistan Region and China, while the Chinese Ministry of Education’s approval provides institutional recognition for Kurdish as a language subject for dedicated higher-education study in China. (ILKHA)