Today, Monday, November 2, 2026, the Rojava University Council issued a statement to the public, students and the academic community, saying that although it had been involved in the reunification process from the outset, the Syrian Ministry of Higher Education’s latest decisions regarding Rojava University fell far short of expectations and failed to address its legitimate rights. It added that the decisions were entirely disconnected from the region’s academic, social and historical realities.
The statement said the university’s main demands could be summarized as follows:
- The Syrian Ministry of Higher Education must seriously take into account the region’s specific characteristics and the Kurdish identity of Rojava University.
- The university’s status must remain unchanged during the new academic year, until dialogue produces a balanced formula that safeguards its national, academic and cultural characteristics.
- No department should be closed, as all departments were established to meet the region’s scientific and livelihood needs.
- Education in Kurdish must be maintained, given that Kurdish students have studied in their mother tongue for 12 years. Transferring them abruptly to Arabic-language colleges and universities would create serious difficulties and problems.
- The difficult economic circumstances facing citizens must be taken into consideration, as they cannot afford the high cost of sending their children to study in other provinces.
The Rojava University Council officially announced that the student competition and admissions process (mufadala) would continue and that the results would be announced soon. At the same time, its administrative and educational work would continue without any retreat until a special, independent university for the region is established, offering bilingual instruction (Kurdish and Arabic) while fully preserving all departments.
At the conclusion of the statement, the council stressed that it would be a source of pride for Rojava University to become an active part of Syria’s higher education system. However, this year must be devoted to constructive dialogue on the university’s future, so that the rights earned through 10 years of the efforts and dedication of its teachers and students remain protected.
