Kurdish SIS: Year in Review

Dicle Bridge, Diyarbakır, Kurdistan of Türkiye.

What comes next for the Kurds if sovereign statehood remains out of reach?

This question will guide the next phase of the Kurdish program at American University’s School of International Service.

As the Barzani Scholar-in-Residence, with my colleagues at SIS, I have worked to establish a lasting home in Washington, D.C., for Kurdish scholarship and public dialogue. This third annual update offers an opportunity to reflect on our progress and outline what comes next.

Over the past year, I have:

-Published more than 14 analyses on energy, foreign affairs, local governance, and relations among the United States, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region.

-Participated in conferences in Washington, D.C., the Kurdistan Region, other parts of Iraq, and Europe, contributing to discussions on Kurdish affairs, Middle Eastern politics, energy, and geopolitics.

-Reached broader audiences through media appearances, including interviews on CNN and Al Jazeera.

-Met with officials from the U.S. Department of State and the Iraqi and Kurdish governments, as well as scholars at Washington-based think tanks and experts at the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Our newsletter has chronicled these efforts and helped a growing community of readers stay connected to the program.

This year, we will build on this foundation by launching a series on Kurdish governance across the Middle East. The series will consider a central question: If sovereign statehood remains out of reach, how can Kurdish communities participate more fully in the political and economic systems that shape their lives?

I am pleased to announce that Ambassador Joey Hood will join us on September 29 as the series’ first guest.

We are also planning a discussion on peaceful coexistence and the Kurdistan Region’s role as a refuge for Christians fleeing persecution in other parts of Iraq. The event will examine how the Region’s status as a distinct federal entity has shaped this role and why that experience matters to policymakers and the public.

To explore these issues, we will be joined by two distinguished experts: Nadine Maenza, an advocate for international religious freedom and chair of the Institute for Global Engagement (IGE); and Knox Thames, executive director of the Everett Center for Global Religious Freedom at Dallas Baptist University. Thames previously served at the U.S. Department of State as special advisor for religious minorities in the Near East and South and Central Asia.

The program’s work also extends beyond public events and publications. Since 2023, the Barzani Peace Fellowship has enabled 14 students to pursue master’s degrees at American University’s School of International Service. More than $400,000 in financial support has been awarded to Barzani Fellows, helping reduce financial barriers and expand access to graduate education in international affairs. Students interested in Kurdish affairs may apply for the fellowship here.

I hope you will join us, engage with our speakers, and share your perspective. What question would you most like this series to address?

Yerevan Saeed,

Barzani Scholar-in-Residence and

Director of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace

The Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace (GKIP) hosted six events during the 2025–2026 academic year, bringing together scholars, policymakers, journalists, and practitioners to discuss key issues affecting the Kurdistan Region and the broader Middle East. Topics included Kurdistan’s role amid regional tensions, the future of Syrian Kurds, Iraq's elections and U.S.–Iraq relations, natural gas, and Kurdish culture, including a Newroz celebration and a reception co-hosted with the Kurdistan Regional Government Representation in the United States.

Director Yerevan Saeed published extensively on U.S.-Kurdish relations, Iraq’s energy sector, Peshmerga deployments, and the consequences of regional conflict for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region on major American and international platforms.

In addition, Saeed engaged with policymakers, diplomats, scholars, and the media in Washington, D.C., Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region. Saeed delivered a lecture at the Institute of World Politics on the Halabja chemical attack and Kurdish genocide, began teaching the graduate course The Foundation of International Political Economy, and participated in major policy forums, including the Iraq Research Leaders Forum, the Middle East Peace and Security Forum, and events hosted by the Atlantic Council, the Foreign Policy Research Institute, and the World Bank–IMF Spring Meetings.

Lastly, the director maintained an active media presence, providing interviews and expert commentary for U.S., Kurdish, Arabic, and international outlets on regional security, energy, and Kurdish affairs. His analysis appeared in CNN International, Al Jazeera, DW News, VOA, Rudaw, NRT, Kurdistan 24, Kurdistan Chronicle, The New Region, Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), and leading publications including the Atlantic Council’s MENA Source, The National, and Petroleum Economist, helping amplify GKIP’s work and reach broader audiences.

Between Washington, Tel Aviv, and Tehran: Kurdistan’s Precarious Position: Dr. Dlawer Ala’Aldeen and Dr. Ken Pollack spoke with Director Yerevan Saeed about the future of the Kurdistan Region as it becomes involuntarily entangled in the conflict among Washington, Tehran, and Tel Aviv.

Newroz Celebration: Cultural celebration of Newroz, the Kurdish New Year.

The Future of Kurds in Syria: Aliza Marcus and Dlshad Othman spoke with Barzani Peace Fellow Sirwan Kajjo about the path forward for Syrian Kurds.

Evening Reception at the Kurdistan Regional Government Representation in the United States: In partnership with GKIP, the KRG Representation in the U.S. hosted a reception welcoming American University students, faculty, and guests to the Spring 2026 semester.

Governing Iraq After the Election: Implications for Iraq-U.S. Relations:
Jennifer Gavito, Sarhang Hamasaeed, and Rend Al-Rahim spoke with Director Yerevan Saeed about Iraq's parliamentary elections.

Leverage or Liability? Kurdistan’s Gas on the Iraqi & Regional Chessboard: Victoria Taylor, Noam Raydan, and Raad Alkadiri spoke with Director Yerevan Saeed about the geoeconomics of natural gas in the Middle East, with a focus on Kurdistan and Iraq.

GKIP continued publishing its monthly newsletter throughout the 2025–2026 academic year. Eight editions have been released to date, including the Year-in-Review and the September, October, November, January, February, March, and April issues. Together, these editions have kept the GKIP community informed about the Initiative’s activities, publications, events, and broader engagements.

Each edition of the monthly newsletter features interviews with a next-generation Kurdish leader or professional and a Kurdish artist, highlighting emerging voices, perspectives, and cultural identity within the Kurdish community.

During the 2025–2026 academic year, the Initiative published 14 interviews across seven editions, providing a platform for leaders, professionals, and artists to share their experiences and work with a broader audience while strengthening connections to Kurdish society, culture, and public affairs.

The Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace is pleased to host a conversation with Ambassador Joey Hood on the future of Kurdish political, economic, and social participation in the Middle East.

The Kurds are often described as one of the world's largest stateless peoples, a condition that has shaped the politics of Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran for the better part of a century. It raises a question that grows more pressing as the region shifts: if Kurds cannot have a sovereign state, what are the alternatives? This first conversation approaches that question from the standpoint of diplomacy and statecraft.

Established in honor of the Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani, the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace offers the Barzani Peace Fellowship, a prestigious scholarship for graduate students dedicated to Kurdish affairs. Beyond financial support, it empowers future leaders through academic excellence, professional development, and opportunities to engage directly with the program and its mission for peace.

The Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace

4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW,

Washington, D.C. 20016