Persian Language Teaching Centre for Non-Persian Speakers

The Persian Language Teaching Centre for Non-Persian Speakers at the University of Kurdistan obtained its official approval from the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology on April 10, 2017, and henceforth began its activities in teaching Persian language to overseas students. The centre's building was inaugurated on 16 September 2019 with the presence of the Deputy Executive of Persian Language and Iranology in Universities and Scientific Centres abroad, the Director General of Non-Iranian Student Affairs at the Ministry of Science, and Dr. Sadeghi, the President of the University, at the University of Kurdistan.
Since February 2020, after the outbreak of the coronavirus, this centre has continued its educational activities virtually and has been able to make significant progress in expanding Persian language teaching by holding continuous courses at various levels and multiple classes.
In December 2020, the responsibility for establishing the Chair of Virtual Persian Language Teaching in the Kurdistan region of Iraq was assigned to the Persian Language Teaching Centre at the University of Kurdistan by the Deputy of Persian Language and Iranology in the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology. After achieving this success, the activities of this centre expanded to the extent that students from other universities increasingly participated in the virtual classes of this centre. For example, in 2021, a total of 106 educational classes were held with 1,042 language learners, and this trend continues to increase.
In addition to learning Persian language courses, the students of this centre have the opportunity to familiarize with the culture and civilization of Iran. For this purpose, during each course and accompanied by the centre’s staff and instructors, they visit tourist attractions, recreational areas, and historical places of Kurdistan Province and neighboring areas. They also participate in film screenings at the Bijan cinema in Sanandaj twice a week to improve their listening skills. At the end of each educational course, the students are tested and issued a certificate of participation.
Since 2018, the international SAMFA exam has been held several times in this centre, and in each round, many language learners from all over the country and abroad have registered. The centre has the accolade of hosting the greatest number of participants in the SAMFA exam and language learners obtaining excellent grades at the national level.
In the winter of 2021, the Deputy of Persian Language and Iranology of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology assigned the responsibility of conducting the standardized Persian language proficiency assessment test in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to the University of Kurdistan. The participation rate of learners in that region was satisfactory and impressive.
The presence of Persian language and literature professors and graduates, linguists, and experienced administrative staff, the modern and advanced teaching facilities and space of this centre, and the innovative experience of teaching Persian to non-Persian speakers facilitate the expansion of the major scientific and cultural goals of the Islamic Republic of Iran.