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Student Opportunities

The Barzani Peace Fellowship: Fostering Kurdish Leaders for Tomorrow 

The Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace includes the Barzani Peace Fellowship, a scholarship opportunity for graduate students. The fellowship stands as a beacon of hope for students passionate about Kurdish affairs, offering a unique scholarship opportunity to cultivate a new generation of leaders committed to fostering peace, understanding, and positive change. Named in honor of the influential Kurdish leader Mustafa Barzani, the fellowship provides more than just financial support. It also facilitates academic and professional development, empowering recipients to contribute meaningfully to the resolution of regional issues. 

Investing in the Youth 

The Barzani Peace Fellowship recognizes the immense potential of the youth to shape a brighter future for their communities. By providing financial assistance, the fellowship alleviates the financial burden of higher education, allowing students to focus on their studies and leadership development. The program also goes beyond financial aid, offering mentorship, networking opportunities, and skill-building workshops to equip fellows with the tools and knowledge they need to become effective leaders. 

Promoting Peace and Understanding 

At the heart of the Barzani Peace Fellowship lies a deep commitment to peace and understanding. The fellowship actively promotes dialogue and cultural exchange, encouraging fellows to bridge divides within the Kurdish community and build bridges of understanding with other communities. This focus on peacebuilding is particularly important in light of the complex challenges facing the Kurdish people, including ongoing political conflicts and social divisions. 

A Legacy of Leadership 

The Barzani Peace Fellowship is a testament to the enduring legacy of Mustafa Barzani, a Kurdish leader who tirelessly advocated for peace and self-determination for his people. By investing in the next generation of Kurdish leaders, the fellowship honors Barzani's vision and works to ensure that his dream of a peaceful and prosperous Kurdistan becomes a reality. 

Mustafa Barzani Peace Fellowship

This fellowship supports SIS graduate students who focus on global Kurdish studies. 

Contact sisgrad@american.edu for information on eligibility or to verify the application deadline for a particular term. If you are ready to apply, submit the application right away.

Fellowship Recipients

Tanvi DaniTanvi DaniFellowship Recipient

Tanvi Dani, SIS/MA’24, is pursuing a graduate degree in international peace and conflict resolution at SIS. She holds a bachelor's degree in global affairs with minors in peace and conflict resolution and Spanish from OP Jindal Global University, India.

Her professional journey includes working full time as a research analyst with Windward US, where she researched and reported on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing Activities in the Indo-Pacific Region. She is passionate about interfaith peacebuilding, inter-communal dialogue, and justice on the international level as a means of conflict resolution. In the past, she has researched and published articles on Kurdish civil rights and socio-political struggle, with a keen focus on the Turkish-Kurdish conflict.

The Mustafa Barzani Peace Fellowship was one of the most important factors in enabling Tanvi to complete a master's degree in the US. The financial assistance received through the fellowship enabled her to focus solely on academics, research, networking, internship, and other social opportunities available at SIS. Being a Kurdish scholar through the Mustafa Barzani Peace Fellowship also allowed her to connect with incredible people in Kurdish civil society and academic space inside and outside of AU and learn more about the culture. As an Indian, she understands and appreciates the Kurdish struggle for an autonomous homeland and hopes to highlight the nuances of the struggle for statehood through her training in conflict resolution, international negotiation, and peacebuilding.

Dilek Mustafa DoskiDilek Mustafa DoskiFellowship Recipient

Dilek Mustafa Doski, SIS/MA’24, is pursuing a graduate degree in global governance, politics, and security at SIS. She holds a bachelor's degree in government from Suffolk University, Boston.

Her professional journey includes roles as a research assistant with the Wilson Center's Middle East Program and as a diplomatic intern for the Kurdistan Regional Government's Representation in the United States. The Wilson Center recently published her article, titled “Kurdistan and the United States: ISIS Defeated, What Comes Next?" to emphasize the significance of the US partnership in anti-ISIS operations. The article delves into the security challenges confronting the Kurdistan Region.

Dilek's commitment to fostering peace and diplomacy shines through her participation as a fellow in the prestigious Mustafa Barzani Peace Fellowship, where she conducts research on Kurdish studies and the broader Middle East region. Being a Kurdish scholar at American University, Dilek organized a panel discussion featuring the former KRG Higher Representative to the United States, Bayan Sami, and SIS professor Keith Darden. In this event, she moderated discussions on state building and the Kurdish national identity. This valuable opportunity was made possible through the support and accessibility provided by her fellowship.

AU for American University in blue surrounded by a blue bordered boxMaveen MallahFellowship Recipient

Maveen Mallah, SIS/MA’25, is pursuing a graduate degree in comparative regional studies at SIS. She received her bachelor's degree in comparative international studies from San Diego State University. As a regional studies student, she is interested in specializing in the Middle East.

Her professional journey includes working as a research assistant with the Mustafa Barzani Scholar of Global Kurdish Studies at American University. As part of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace, she coordinates campus events, facilitates discussions between Kurdish scholars, and is a part of the ongoing effort to raise awareness of Kurdish issues. Throughout her academic career, she has researched Kurdish state-building efforts and is interested in topics including Kurdish diaspora, nationalism, and the historical and sociopolitical factors shaping Kurdish identity and self-expression.

The Mustafa Barzani Peace Fellowship has exposed Maveen to a plethora of faculty and students who are conscious of the Kurdish struggles and events at American University that celebrate the Kurds.

AU for American University in blue surrounded by a blue bordered boxRewan IbrahimFellowship Recipient

Rewan Ibrahim, SIS/MA’25, is pursuing a graduate degree in international peace and conflict resolution at SIS. He receivedhis bachelor's degree in international politics and government affairs from George Mason University.

His professional experience includes serving as an assistant to the US Military-Peshmerga affairs during the fight against ISIS. Since 2015, he has been an active Kurd in the Washington, DC, area. Over the past few years, he has participated in numerous events and activities to support the development and visibility of Kurdish society.

The Mustafa Barzani Peace Fellowship has immense significance to Rewan as it will allow him to explore more opportunities to serve Kurdistan.