DILUCAN BOZÎ

Kobanî – Kobanî University was founded on September 30, 2017, by the Autonomous Administration in Kobanî. The university held a graduation ceremony for its first graduating students on October 28.

The female and male students of Kobanî University dreamed of graduating from the university for four years. When the university was founded, it had only the faculties of Kurdish Literature, Biology, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry. Then, new faculties were opened every year. This year, 32 students, who studied Kurdish Literature, Biology, Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, have graduated from the university and they become the first graduates of the university. The university held a graduation ceremony for its first graduating students on October 28.

“I am happy to graduate”

“We managed to graduate despite all challenges we had faced. Every student dreamed of this day. Many people told us that we studied for nothing. But our faith was stronger than their words. I am happy to graduate and to have had the opportunity to receive education in my mother language.  No one believed that a university giving education in Kurdish would be opened. But it was opened and we received education in Kurdish at the university. We also learned many other languages at the university.”

“We never lost our hope despite challenges”

“We overcame all difficulties and challenges with our insistence,” Şadiman Hısi, another graduate, told us. “The city was in ruins and we had limited opportunities. We are lucky to have graduated from the university despite the war conditions. Many states haven’t officially recognized our university yet. I don’t care if they recognize the university or not. What is important is that we recognize it. During the attacks on Afrin, our university was closed down several times. In 2019, the university was closed again due to the attacks on Gire Spi, Serêkaniye. But we continued to take online classes during the closures and the Covid-19 pandemic. We never lost our hope despite challenges and managed to graduate from the university.”

Families should not prevent their children

Silava Qeto expressed her joy and said, “I had difficulties in learning English but I overcame these difficulties. The number of female students is more than male students and this makes us happy. When women know something, they teach it to their societies. I will try to improve myself. The families shouldn’t prevent their children to go to school.”