At TISHK Center for Kurdistan Studies, we are dedicated to advancing the understanding and knowledge of Kurdistan and the broader Kurdish question in the Middle East. Established in 2022 in the vibrant city of Cologne, Germany, Tishk is a non-governmental and non-profit organization committed to rigorous research in political, social, and cultural aspects.
The TISHK Center aims to conduct and promote high-quality research on Kurdish studies and Middle East issues. Through our research initiatives, we seek to deepen the understanding of the Kurdish people, their history, culture, language, and contemporary challenges. We strive to contribute to academic knowledge and provide valuable insights for policymakers, scholars, and the general public.
The development of democracy, the establishment of human rights, the consideration of gender issues, women’s issues, and the environmental situation in Iran and Kurdistan will be the foundation of the center’s work.
The TISHK Center aims to scientifically examine Kurdish studies and the Kurdish problem in the Middle East and to provide a scientific understanding of the Kurdish question, Kurdish history and culture, the Kurdish language and current problems through its research.
Collaboration is key to advancing knowledge and addressing complex issues. The Tishk Center seeks to foster academic collaboration by establishing partnerships with universities, research institutions, and organizations working in the field of Kurdish studies and Middle East affairs. By promoting interdisciplinary cooperation and sharing resources, we aim to enhance the quality and impact of research in these areas.
In an exclusive interview with Kurdistan Agora, the English-language platform of the TISHK Centre for Kurdistan Studies, Mustafa Mauludi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), shares key insights on the party, Kurdistan, Iran, and broader regional affairs with Shna Pasbar, a member of the Editorial Board of Kurdistan Agora.. In an era of intense geopolitical realignment…
The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan’s (PDKI) affiliation with the Iran Freedom Congress (IFC) is a fundamental strategic error that severely compromises party sovereignty and the Kurdish national struggle. Structurally, the IFC operates not as an equal-partner coalition, but as a centralist…
This interview with Prof. Brendan O'Leary—Lauder Professor of Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania and former constitutional adviser to the Kurdistan Regional Gov-ernment (KRG) from 2003 to 2017—examines the Kurdish constitutional experience in, Iraq, the aftermath of the 2017 independence referendum…
In the essay "Broken and Suspended," international security analyst Shahin Modarres explores the paralyzed state of Iranian political society following the devastating Israeli and American military strikes of June 2025. Modarres argues that while the Islamic Republic is militarily shattered, the Iranian…
Despite decades of organizing, the Iranian opposition has failed to produce a political struc-ture capable of credibly challenging the Islamic Republic. This article argues that the prob-lem is not a lack of unity but a flawed architecture of unity. The dominant model,…
This article presents a scathing indictment of the Iranian regime, arguing that its systematic disregard for human life—from the lethal saturation of its own borderlands with landmines to targeted strikes on civilian infrastructure across the Middle East—has evolved from a domestic tragedy…
This article addresses different political currents in Iran in a moment of war. While its critique is directed primarily at segments of the so-called progressive left, it also extends, to some degree, to anti-imperialist positions and supporters of axis of resistance that…
In an exclusive interview with Kurdistan Agora, the English-language platform of the TISHK Centre for Kurdistan Studies, Mustafa Mauludi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), shares key insights on the party, Kurdistan, Iran, and broader regional affairs with…
The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan’s (PDKI) affiliation with the Iran Freedom Congress (IFC) is a fundamental strategic error that severely compromises party sovereignty and the Kurdish national struggle. Structurally, the IFC operates not as an equal-partner coalition, but as a centralist…
In the essay "Broken and Suspended," international security analyst Shahin Modarres explores the paralyzed state of Iranian political society following the devastating Israeli and American military strikes of June 2025. Modarres argues that while the Islamic Republic is militarily shattered, the Iranian…
TISHK Seminar Series TISHK Seminar Series A seminar on ‘The Triangle of Conflict: Oil, Power and Marginalization’ The Triangle of Conflict: Oil, Power and Marginalization The TISHK Center for Kurdistan Studies is pleased to announce an upcoming seminar entitled “The Triangle of…
TISHK Seminar Series TISHK Seminar Series A seminar on ‘Regime Change in Iran: Project or Revolution?’ Regime Change in Iran: Project or Revolution? The TISHK Center for Kurdistan Studies is pleased to host the eighteenth seminar of its 2026 seminar series, entitled…
TISHK Seminar Series TISHK Seminar Series A seminar on ‘The Power of Narratives: Yezidism as Religious Difference in Kurdish Intellectual History’ The Power of Narratives: Yezidism as Religious Difference in Kurdish Intellectual History The TISHK Center for Kurdistan Studies is pleased to…
The article argues that the February 28, 2026, joint U.S.-Israeli strikes—which eliminated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the IRGC's top command—represent a deliberate "systemic liquidation" designed to dismantle the Iranian regime's infrastructure rather than simply forcing it to negotiate. By dismissing both…
On February 22, 2026, five major Kurdish parties in Eastern Kurdistan: the Kurdistan Freedom Party, Kurdistan Free Life Party, Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, Khabat Organization of Iranian Kurdistan, and Komala of the Toilers of Kurdistan, formed a historic alliance aimed at…
The TISHK Center for Kurdistan Studies is pleased to announce the launch of its new initiative: TISHK Strategic Policy Making. This project is dedicated to producing in-depth, high-quality, and thematically focused research on Eastern Kurdistan, with the objective of offering informed, practical,…
Dr Dawod Rasooli is Assistant Professor of Soil and Water Conservation in the Department of Crop Production. He received his Ph.D. in 2020 from Salahaddin University - Erbil (SUE). In 2009, he joined the Polytechnic University of Erbil, where he worked as…
a Researcher and Lecturer at the University of Kobani, has devoted his academic work to the field of Kurdish studies. Having completed advanced studies in this field at Uppsala University in Sweden, Shojai is currently a PhD student. His scholarly endeavours mainly…
Kayhan Yusefi received his bachelor's degree in management in East Kurdistan, Iran. He then fled to South Kurdistan (Iraq) for political reasons and continued his activities in one of the Iranian Kurdish opposition parties. For four years, Yusefi was the General Secretary…
