Venue:- University of Kurdistan - Hawler

The Baldar Scholarships was born from the extraordinary public response to the Pashiv talk show, a platform designed to transform storytelling, generosity, and civic action to shape a new future for the youth of Kurdistan. What began as a live on-air challenge to Kurdistan’s businessmen, to sponsor students pursuing graduate education abroad, led to the spontaneous commitment of 114 scholarships within a single month, igniting a movement of hope, empowerment, and collective responsibility.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Rudaw Media Network on Thursday announced the Baldar Scholarship Program, a new initiative that will support 114 Kurdish students in pursuing higher education abroad, funded by local philanthropists.

“Rudaw is proud to announce the Baldar Scholarship Program, which will award 114 Kurdish students the opportunity to pursue master’s degrees abroad,” said Rudaw CEO Ako Mohammed during a ceremony held at the University of Kurdistan Hewler (UKH).

The program is named in honor of Ibrahim Amin Baldar, a pioneering Kurdish educator who authored the first official Kurdish-language textbook and, according to Mohammed, “helped the Kurds preserve their language in a region that had long suppressed their identity.”
“Starting next month, applications will open through a specific and merit-based selection process,” he added, expressing appreciation to UKH and Vision Education for their partnership in launching the initiative.

The scholarship program is the outcome of Pashivi Rudaw, a special Ramadan series hosted by Rudaw’s Bestoon Osman, which aimed to raise educational funds from philanthropists and influential figures across the Kurdistan Region. In addition to the Baldar scholarships, the initiative also facilitated the distribution of other awards in March.

Among the prominent contributors to the program is Sardar Al-Bebany, Chairman and CEO of Sardar Group and President of Toyota Iraq, who generously sponsored 10 scholarships. Commenting on his contribution, he stated: “It is a sacred responsibility upon us, and we consider it our duty to support our students—so that in the future, they too may contribute and carry the torch forward.”

Vision Education, a local education management group led by Idris Nechirvan Barzani, contributed 40 scholarships. Barzani is among 30 philanthropists and business leaders who collectively funded the program.

Zana Ibrahim, interim president of UKH, described the Baldar Scholarship as a “unique and nationalistic project,” underscoring the critical role of private sector engagement in advancing higher education.
“Supporting education does not necessarily have to be done by the public sector; providing educational opportunities—both locally and abroad—can become a new and impactful initiative for the private sector,” he said.