A small number of American universities offer Kurdish language instruction, primarily at institutions with Middle Eastern Studies programs or strong connections to Kurdish diaspora communities. The University of Chicago, Columbia University, and a handful of other research universities have offered Kurmanji or Sorani courses at various points, typically taught by graduate students or visiting scholars. These programs are fragile — they depend on the presence of a particular instructor and can disappear when that person leaves.

The challenge for Kurdish in higher education is a resource problem. Developing and sustaining a university language program requires funding, qualified faculty, and enough student demand to justify the investment. Kurdish lacks the commercial and diplomatic profile that drives investment in Arabic, Chinese, or Persian instruction. It is not required for any major government language examination. The case for teaching it is cultural and scholarly rather than economic, which makes it harder to fund.

This does not mean the situation is hopeless. Student advocacy at universities with large Kurdish communities has in some cases produced course offerings. Online instruction, like KASA’s own programs, fills gaps that universities leave. And the slow growth of Kurdish diaspora communities in university cities is gradually increasing the potential student base. Progress is slow, but the direction is right.