On Sunday, the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace announced that they had reached a historical milestone at American University’s School of International Service (SIS) by sponsoring ten graduate students from diverse backgrounds.

“This is a truly historic moment. For the first time, the SIS at American University has ten Barzani Peace Fellows, supported through the Barzani Peace Fellowship as a part of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace,” Yerevan Saeed, Director of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace at the SIS, told Kurdistan Chronicle.

“This scholarship is a meaningful investment in Kurdish studies and future Kurdish leadership. It expands access to advanced education, strengthens research and visibility for Kurdish issues, and helps ensure Kurdish perspectives are better represented in academic and policy discussions worldwide.

“As the Barzani Scholar in-residence and the director of the initiative, I am very proud of what has been achieved in such a short period of time.”

Anthony Avice Du Buisson, a fellowship recipient of the Barzani Scholarship, told Kurdistan Chronicle that “the Mustafa Barzani Peace Fellowship is an initiative that seeks to raise awareness about Kurdish affairs by providing a scholarship that enriches the lives of graduate students at the SIS.

“The fellowship aims to bring the brightest minds from across the globe together in one place to further the Kurdish cause by strengthening the skills and professional development of young leaders, supporting future public servants, academics, and advocates.”

Buisson underlined that the cohort of ten is a monumental achievement for the program and for Kurdish studies in general. 

“More fellows allow for greater connections that enhance interest in developments within Kurdistan and provide opportunities to contribute to scholarship and discourse around it. At a time when Kurds continue to face mounting challenges to their identity, raising awareness through this program is not just an intellectual activity, but a moral imperative.

“For Kurdish leadership on the global level, the program gives the opportunity for students to connect, learn from resident scholars, and contribute to the Kurdish cause with informed debate and concerted action. The youth are integral to the future of Kurdish affairs and Kurdistan as a whole. Investing in education is investing in the future of this important project. The youth are the future, and we need to ensure that they are given the opportunity to develop according to their best level," he concluded.