Kurdish Studies Initiative
The Kurdish Studies Initiative at the University of Toronto is an academic and community platform dedicated to advancing research, teaching, and public engagement on Kurdish history, culture, language, and politics. Rooted in the legacy of Professor Amir Hassanpour, the Initiative brings together scholars, students, and community partners to explore Kurdish life and creativity across Kurdistan and its diasporas. Through courses, archives, public events, and future language programs, it aims to build a lasting home for Kurdish Studies in Canada and foster dialogue between the university and the broader Kurdish community.
The full program of the Kurdish Culture and Scholarship Week comes below..
You can help build and sustain the Kurdish Studies Initiative by making a tax-deductible donation through the University of Toronto’s secure giving portal. All contributions are eligible for a charitable tax receipt and credit. Supporters may also include a note indicating that their donation should be directed toward the Kurdish Culture and Scholarship Week or related programs. Your generosity directly strengthens Kurdish teaching, research, and cultural programming at the University.
Kurdish Culture and Scholarship Week — March 16–20, 2026
Voices, Visions, and Resistance: A Week of Kurdish Culture and Scholarship
The Kurdish Culture and Scholarship Week will mark a historic and celebratory milestone for the University of Toronto, establishing an annual tradition that bridges academic scholarship, artistic expression, and community dialogue. Organized by the Kurdish Studies Initiative at the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations (NMC) and partner units across the university and in collaboration with the Kurdish Students’ Associations and the local Kurdish community, this inaugural week will celebrate the vibrancy and resilience of Kurdish culture, art, and scholarship.
Through exhibitions, film screenings, panels, and public events, the week will bring together scholars, artists, students, and the community to explore Kurdish histories, creativity, and intellectual traditions while also situating Kurdish Studies as an essential field of inquiry and engagement at the University of Toronto.
Monday, March 16
Exhibition Opening and Meet the Artist
Light and Resistance: Kurdish Lives through the Lens of Maryam Ashrafi
Venue:
William Doo Hall
45 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON M5S 2H3
Time: 1:00–2:00 PM
Kurdish Culture and Scholarship Week begins with the opening of Light and Resistance, a powerful exhibition of photographs by acclaimed Iranian photojournalist Maryam Ashrafi. Her work captures Kurdish communities across Kurdistan and the diaspora, documenting everyday life, displacement, women’s participation in political struggle, and the enduring presence of resistance.
The opening event includes a meet-the-artist conversation with Maryam Ashrafi, who will speak about her photographic journey, the challenges of documenting conflict, and the responsibility of witnessing through the lens. Guests will have the opportunity to engage directly with the artist and learn more about the stories behind the images.
The exhibition will remain open to the public from March 16 to March 20 on the third floor of the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations (NMC), within the Elahé Omidyar Mir-Djalali Institute of Iranian Studies, University of Toronto.
Film Screening — Eternal Sentinel
Venue:
William Doo Hall
45 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON M5S 2H3
Time: 2:00–3:30 PM
The evening continues with a screening of Eternal Sentinel, a documentary directed by Maryam Ashrafi. The film explores the psychological trauma and physical dangers faced by journalists covering conflicts in Iraq and Syria. Focusing on the devastating impact of landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), it follows journalists who have been wounded or who have witnessed deadly incidents, while also reflecting on Ashrafi’s own experiences reporting from conflict zones.
A short discussion with the director will follow the screening.
Tuesday, March 17
Panel Discussion — The State of Kurdish Studies in the World
Venue:
Hybrid (NMC 304 – Iranian Studies Seminar Room)
4 Bancroft Ave, Toronto, ON M5S 1C1
Join URL: https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/82269690127
Time: 1:00–3:00 PM
This panel will explore the current landscape of Kurdish Studies globally, addressing key themes in the field, emerging areas of research, and institutional challenges.
Participants:
Marlene Schäfers (Utrecht University)
Marouf Cabi (LSE)
Serdar Şengul (McGill University)
Moderator: Omer Ozcan (University of Toronto)
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Urgent Roundtable Discussion — War, Democracy and The Future of Iran and Rojhelat
Details to be confirmed.
Venue:
Hybrid (NMC 304 – Iranian Studies Seminar Room)
4 Bancroft Ave, Toronto, ON M5S 1C1
Join URL: https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/82269690127
Time: 3:00–5:00 PM
Wednesday, March 18
Talk — From Madrasa Scholars to Book Peddlers: The Social Life of Books in Kurdish Educational Traditions
Speaker: Serdar Şengül (McGill University)
Chair/discussant: Fırat Bozçalı (University of Toronto)
Venue:
Anthropology Department (Boardroom AP 246)
19 Ursula Franklin Street, Toronto, ON M5S 2S2
Time: 2:00-4:00 PM
Chair/discussant: Fırat Bozçalı (University of Toronto)
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Film Screening — Night and Fog in Kurdistan
Shilan Saadi
Venue:
NMC 304 – Iranian Studies Seminar Room
4 Bancroft Ave, Toronto, ON M5S 1C1
Time: 4:30–6:30 PM
An award-winning documentary that tells the powerful story of seven Yezidi teenagers who survived the 2014 ISIS genocide. The film portrays both trauma and resilience, capturing the ongoing struggle for survival, healing, and hope.
A brief discussion with the director and a co-producer will follow the screening.
Thursday, March 19
Panel and Film Screening (Hybrid)
Venue:
Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, Maclean Hunter Room
Join URL: https://utoronto.zoom.us/j/87619793645
Time: 1:00–5:00 PM
Panel — Archives, Power, and Knowledge in the Middle East: Kurdish Archives in Regional Perspective
Keynote Speaker: Rosie Bsheer (Harvard University)
This panel explores archives as contested sites of power, memory, and knowledge production across the Middle East. Focusing on Kurdish archival practices while situating them within broader regional debates, the discussion examines how archives are shaped by state authority, violence, revolution, and struggles over historical narration.
The panel highlights the Kurdish archival collections at the University of Toronto, including the Amir Hassanpour Fonds and the Setar Faithi Fonds, and places them in conversation with wider scholarly work on archives, counter-archives, and documentation practices in the Middle East. Building on recent international conversations on Kurdish archives, the session reflects on the political life of documents and the ethical challenges of archival research under conditions of repression and erasure.
Panel Participants:
Mahdi Ganjavi (University of Toronto)
Farangis Ghaderi (University of Exeter)
Chowra Makaremi(CNRS, Paris)
Moderator: Shahrzad Mojab (University of Toronto)
Film Screening — Guerrilla Archive
Chowra Makaremi, Shahrzad Mojab, and Setar Faithi
Guerrilla Archive explores the previously unseen visual and sonic archives of the Kurdish revolutionary movement in Iran, tracing memory, struggle, and everyday life through the lens of Setar Faithi. The screening will include an introduction by Shahrzad Mojab, followed by a discussion on archives, activism, and the politics of collective memory.
Friday, March 20
Public Lecture — Kurdish Studies at the University of Toronto: A Conversation
Venue:
Bahen Center BA2135
40 St George St, Toronto, ON M5S 2E4
Time: 3:00–5:00 PM
A public dialogue featuring Jaffer Sheyholislami, Shahrzad Mojab, and Mohamad Tavakoli-Targhi, moderated by Sardar Saadi, that will reflect on the intellectual trajectory of Kurdish Studies at the University of Toronto—its origins in the vision of Amir Hassanpour, its recent developments, and its aspirations for the coming decade. The event will be held in conjunction with the course NMC348H1-2248 Kurdish Studies: A Critical Introduction, bringing together students, faculty, and community members.
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Evening — Newroz Reception and Celebration
Venue:
Café Pamenar
307 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T 2M2
Time: 5:30–7:30 PM
The week concludes with a Newroz celebration and fundraising reception in support of the Kurdish Studies Initiative. The gathering will feature Kurdish music, food, and cultural performances, creating a space for joy, reflection, and community connection.
All proceeds will go toward the continued growth of Kurdish Studies at the University of Toronto, including future language instruction, student scholarships, and public programming.
Kurdish Studies: A Critical Introduction
- This course offers an engaging introduction to the rich and diverse world of Kurdish life. Together, we will explore the traditions, creativity, and everyday experiences of the Kurdish people, while also reflecting on their struggles and remarkable achievements. Our journey will take us across the many regions of Kurdistan and into its global diasporas, giving us space to think critically about the challenges Kurds face today and the ways they continue to shape the social and political life of the Middle East. Along the way, we will read both classic and contemporary works in Kurdish studies and place them in conversation with broader debates in Middle East studies. The course is designed to invite curiosity, dialogue, and reflection, helping us build a thoughtful and nuanced understanding of Kurdish identities and the complex histories and forces that have shaped them.
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