Kurdish SIS: Year in Review

Erbil Citadel, Capital of the Kurdistan Region

Since stepping into the role of Barzani Scholar-in-Residence in the fall of 2023, I have seen the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace (GKIP) grow into a recognized name in academic and policy circles. In London, Erbil, and Washington, D.C., people spoke of the program with genuine respect, often pointing to its ability to connect scholarship with real-world challenges of the Kurds. That kind of recognition did not happen overnight; it was made possible by the trust of colleagues who gave me the freedom to shape the program according to a clear vision. I am grateful for the support of the Dean’s Office, including Dean Shannon Hader and Associate Dean Rachel Sullivan Robinson at the School of International Service (SIS), as well as Carl LeVan, Chair of the Department of Politics, Governance, and Economics, and other SIS offices.

The past year has been defined by strategic growth. The Initiative expanded its presence through publications, media engagement, and public events. Collaborations with think tanks and universities have both deepened and diversified, laying a stronger foundation while opening new opportunities for future joint projects. To reflect the program’s growing scope, the website has been updated with new features that showcase the breadth of GKIP’s work. A monthly newsletter was also launched, becoming a vital channel for amplifying activities and reinforcing GKIP’s identity. As Director, I have written unique and underreported perspectives on Kurdistan, using the newsletter to shed light on the untold stories of the Kurds and their ongoing struggle.

This work is firmly anchored in historical legacy. Established in June 1999 by SIS alumnus Masrour Barzani, currently serving as Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the Kurdish program was created to advance the vision of his late grandfather, Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani, who advocated for peaceful resolutions to the Kurdish question and for a future predicated on dignity and coexistence.

In 2007, this vision was further enhanced when then Prime Minister, now President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani endowed a scholarship program to support students pursuing studies in Kurdish affairs. Today, this enduring legacy is institutionalized through the Barzani Scholar-in-Residence and the Barzani Peace Fellowship, which together constitute the two principal pillars of GKIP.

The Peace Fellowship has emerged as a cornerstone of the program. Over the last three years alone, it has supported ten graduate students at SIS, each bringing a unique perspective shaped by global backgrounds. Together, they have formed a vibrant community of fellows dedicated to advancing dialogue and research on Kurdish and regional issues. Some have already graduated. To make this possible, the program has provided $558,000 in tuition fees, including $172,000 for the 2024–2025 academic year. The Fellowship is poised for continued growth, with additional Barzani Fellows expected to join in this academic cycle.

This year, GKIP enters the new academic cycle with a robust program that builds on this footing. In addition to my role as Barzani Scholar-in-Residence, I will be teaching a course in the Spring of 2026 on Politics of Oil and Climate Change, reflecting the program’s commitment to addressing urgent global challenges, Kurdish and regional issues, and the Department’s geoeconomic expertise. The Initiative also seeks to expand its reach incrementally while strengthening its ongoing work, ensuring that the mission set more than two decades ago remains relevant, impactful, and forward-looking.

Yerevan Saeed,

Barzani Scholar-in-Residence and

Director of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace

During the 2024–2025 academic year, GKIP hosted four well-attended Kurdish-focused events on key issues, including U.S. foreign policy and regional geopolitics, drawing an average of 70 participants and generating around 50,000 social media engagements.

Central to this work was the Barzani Scholar-in-Residence’s public outreach to policy makers and diplomats in D.C. while attending several conferences in the United States, Kurdistan, and the United Kingdom, as well as publishing relevant policy-focused analysis and papers.

The Scholar gave two lectures in Kurdistan, one hosted by the Vision Foundation for Strategic Studies and another by the University of Kurdistan-Hewlêr’s Department of Politics and International Relations, on how economic tools are used to limit the region’s development and autonomy.

He also delivered a webinar organized by Security in Context with the University of Oklahoma’s Center for Middle East Studies and Center for Peace and Development, where he shared research findings and reflections on the Iraqi government’s systematic strategy to reverse Kurdistan’s development.

Currently, the Scholar-in-Residence is finalizing a paper while seeking to organize a policy conference on Kurdish diplomacy and energy, furthering the Initiative’s mission to inform policy, foster understanding, and promote Kurdish perspectives.

These efforts have broadened GKIP’s visibility and strengthened its influence in Washington, D.C., and beyond, positioning it as a leading platform for Kurdish-focused dialogue.

Newroz Cultural Celebration

This year, the Global Kurdish Initiative launched its first monthly newsletter for the 2024–2025 academic year. To date, four editions—Year-in-Review, February, March, and April—have been shared, keeping our community informed about the Initiative’s activities, publications, and engagements. Building on this momentum, the Initiative will continue to expand the newsletter as a platform to highlight ongoing work and strengthen connections with its network.

The Scholar-in-Residence engaged extensively with the media, providing interviews and commentary across U.S., Kurdish, and Arabic television channels, and a range of international outlets such as NPR, VOA, S&P Global Commodity Insights, Kurdistan Chronicle, Rudaw and others. In addition, coverage from several media outlets helped extend GKIP’s events to a wider audience.

Each edition of the monthly newsletter includes interviews with a Barzani Peace Fellow, amplifying the voices of the next generation, and a Kurdish artist, showcasing the connections between their artwork and their cultural identity.

This timely panel will explore the geoeconomics of natural gas in the Middle East, focusing on the strategic trajectories of the gas sectors in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. As natural gas becomes a growing source of both leverage and rivalry, the discussion will examine how it is reshaping power dynamics across the region — from Erbil–Baghdad disputes to the interests of Iran, Russia, and the United States.

The Halabja Massacre: Remembering, Reflecting and Rebuilding

Monday, September 15, 2025 from 5:00 – 6:00 PM EDT at the Institute of World Politics

Director of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace, Yerevan Saeed, will speak about the Halabja Massacre that occurred on March 16, 1988—a chemical weapons attack under the direction of Ali Hassan al-Majid (“Chemical Ali”), a cousin of Saddam Hussein. The attack claimed between 7,000 and 10,000 civilian lives. Dr. Saeed will discuss the lasting impact on Kurdish and Iraqi history, its role in the discussion of genocide, and his own experience as a survivor of the attack.

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