Kurdistan Region sets 2026-2027 academic year schedule

ERBIL, Iraq — The Kurdistan Region's Ministry of Higher Education has announced that the 2026-2027 academic year will run from Sept. 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. According to a written statement from the ministry, the calendar applies to universities, faculties and institutes operating under both annual and semester-based systems. Under the annual system, the academic period must last at least 30 weeks, while each semester must run no fewer than 15 weeks. Exam periods and official holidays will not be counted toward those minimum durations, the ministry said. Institutions applying the Bologna system will be required to schedule each semester over at least 20 weeks, with 14 weeks dedicated to teaching and the remainder set aside for registration and examinations. Universities using a trimester system must allocate at least 13 weeks per term, with no fewer than 10 weeks devoted to classes. Students at Bologna-protocol universities will be permitted to sit end-of-year exams only twice within a single academic year, according to the ministry's statement.