The Future of Kurds in Syria

About This Event:

Co-sponsored by the School of International Service (SIS) Dean's Office, the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace at SIS is pleased to host a panel discussion on the future of Kurds in Syria.

New political and security dynamics have emerged in Syria following the dramatic events in northeast Syria in January 2026, when forces aligned with the Syrian interim government took control of much of the territory previously controlled by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. These developments may significantly reshape the political and security dynamics for Syria's Kurds, including the prospects for their longstanding demands for autonomy and self-governance. This panel will explore the future of Kurds in Syria with distinguished speakers Aliza Marcus and Dlshad Othman, with Barzani Peace Fellow Sirwan Kajjo moderating and opening remarks by Barzani Scholar Yerevan Saeed.

The panel will conclude with a Q&A session and Middle Eastern cuisine will be served at the end of the event.

Bios:

Aliza Marcus is the author of the forthcoming Resurgence and Revolution: The PKK and the Kurdish Fight in Turkey and Syria (available for pre-order on Amazon), and author of a history of the PKK told through the experiences of those who created and fought for the group, Blood and Belief: The PKK and the Kurdish Fight for Independence. A former Middle East-based correspondent for Reuters and the Boston Globe, she received a National Press Club Award and is a recipient of a MacArthur Foundation grant for her work.

Dlshad Othman is a founding member of American Kurdish Advocates (AKA), a Washington-based group, and a cybersecurity and threat-intelligence engineer based in Virginia. Originally from Dêrik, Syria, he has been actively engaged in advocacy promoting democratic values, human rights, and Kurdish representation. His professional background includes investigating state-linked cyber threats, bringing a data-driven and policy-focused perspective to AKA’s mission. Dlshad holds a MSc in computer Science.

Sirwan Kajjo (moderator) is a journalist and researcher specializing in Kurdish politics, Islamic militancy, and Syrian affairs. His work has appeared in the Middle East Forum, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the Newlines Institute, and other publications. He is a Barzani Peace Fellow and graduate student in Global Governance, Politics, and Security at American University’s School of International Service, and the author of the novel Nothing But Soot. Kajjo holds a B.A. in government and international politics from George Mason University.

Yerevan Saeed is the Barzani Scholar-in-Residence in the Department of Politics, Governance & Economics at American University’s School of International Service, where he also serves as director of the Global Kurdish Initiative for Peace. Saeed is a nonresident senior fellow with the Iraq Initiative in the Atlantic Council’s Middle East programs. His research focuses on the political economy, energy politics, conflict resolution, and Kurdish studies, with emphasis on Iraq, Turkey, Iran, the Gulf states, and the broader Middle East.

Saeed has held academic and research positions including lecturer at the University of Kurdistan Hewler, visiting scholar at Arab Gulf Institute, and associate fellow at the Middle East Research Institute.

Professionally, he worked as a Middle East specialist at Stratfor in 2013 and served as the White House correspondent in Washington, DC, for Rudaw TV in 2015, covering U.S. foreign policy and regional developments. From 2003 to 2007, Saeed worked in Kurdistan and Iraq as a journalist and translator for prominent international outlets including the New York Times, NPR, the Wall Street Journal, BBC, and the Guardian. These experiences continue to shape his research and policy perspectives.

A regular contributor to scholarly and policy discourse, Saeed’s work has appeared on the Atlantic Council, Arab Gulf States Institute, the Wilson Center, the New Lines Institute, The Diplomatic Courier, The Hill, Fikra Forum (The Washington Institute), the Middle East Institute, Al Jazeera, Majalla Magazine, and Rudaw.

He is frequently quoted by global media, including CNN, Voice of America, NPR, S&P Global, Petroleum Economist, Voice of Russia, and the National, and often presents at international conferences.

Parking Information:

Parking is available at the School of International Service Garage.

Parking rates are $2.00 per hour or $16.00 per day, and are paid via the Pay-As-You-Go Machines located in the elevator lobbies or in the front of the parking lot and require your license plate number. Find more information here.

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