Academic Staff

May 26, 2026, 2:29 a.m.
Nihaya M.Salih Ezzulddin (PhD)
None
Lecturer in Novel Criticism

Kurdish Language
College of Basic Education
University of Duhok

  • PhD in Novel Criticism, University of Duhok, College of Languages, 2022.
  • MA in Novel Studies, University of Duhok, College of Arts, 2009.
  • BA in Kurdish Language and Literature, University of Duhok, College of Arts, 2001.

University teaching experience is a cornerstone of academic development, providing valuable intellectual exchange and fostering the development of curricula and teaching methods. This experience has spanned several academic institutions and diverse disciplines within the field of Kurdish language and literature since 2011.

My academic journey began at the College of Humanities, University of Zakho, in the Kurdish Language Department, where I taught courses in comparative literature, folklore, and contemporary Kurdish literature. I also supervised fourth-year students' research in folklore and Kurdish novels. This phase contributed significantly to establishing my academic expertise in literary and critical studies.

Later, between 2019 and 2022, I moved my teaching experience to the College of Health Sciences, University of Duhok, where I taught Kurdish studies to students in the Medical Laboratories and Anesthesia departments, enhancing the cultural and linguistic awareness of students in scientific disciplines. The journey continued at the College of Basic Education at the University of Duhok from 2023 to 2025, through teaching Kurdish studies to students in the Departments of Science and Educational Guidance. This allowed for broader academic interaction with diverse educational disciplines.

Since 2026, this experience has been expanded to include teaching the novel, short story, and narrative to second-year students, in addition to participating in various academic and cultural activities. This has strengthened the scholarly presence in the field of Kurdish narrative literature.

This extended experience has resulted in the development of teaching competence, the strengthening of Kurdish cultural identity among students, and a contribution to building a contemporary critical discourse in the fields of the novel and short story. Furthermore, it has presented an academic model that combines authenticity with methodological innovation.

My academic and professional career has been marked by extensive activity in teaching, university administration, and scientific research, through my work at the University of Zakho and the University of Duhok. I participated in numerous scientific and administrative committees that contributed to developing the academic environment and strengthening institutional work.

My academic activities at the University of Zakho began between 2013 and 2017, where I was a member of the committee for the Kurdish Folklore, Heritage, and Folk Literature Festival in the Kurdish Language Department. I also participated in the Research and Supervision Committee and the Scientific Research Committee in the College of Humanities. Additionally, I served on the International Relations Committee, the Preparatory Committee for the Third Scientific Conference on Humanities, and the Student Disciplinary Committee in the Kurdish Language Department.

Among my most prominent international activities was my participation as part of the University of Zakho delegation to Alexandria University/Faculty of Oriental Languages ​​in the Arab Republic of Egypt during the years 2013 to 2015, which contributed to strengthening scientific and cultural cooperation between the two universities. In 2018, I transferred to the College of Health Sciences at the University of Duhok, where I continued my academic activities through my membership on the Student Disciplinary Committee and the Graduate Studies Scientific Committee until 2020. I also served as Head of the Graduate Studies and Scientific Affairs Unit from 2019 to 2022.

In the field of academic quality assurance, I served as Quality Assurance Coordinator in the Science Department at the College of Basic Education, University of Duhok, from 2023 to 2025. On November 26, 2025, I assumed the position of Coordinator for the Gender Studies Unit at the College of Education, University of Duhok, a role I continue to hold.

As for scientific research, I participated in the Fifth International Conference of Nawroz University in cooperation with the Al-Dhakwat Foundation for Culture, Arts and Literature and the University of Kufa, held in Dohuk on (9-10/10/2024), and presented scientific research entitled:

“The sociological meaning of this story, which dealt with the sociological dimension of knowledge in the Kurdish novel.

Research

  • عزالدين، نهایە محمد صالح. (2025). مەزراندنا سوسیولوژییا زانینێ د ڕۆمانا (عەشق و ئەوێن ژ مژێ بووین) یا نڤیسەر (محسن قۆچان) دا. گۆڤارا زانكۆیا نەوروز، 1(1).
  • عزالدين، نهایە محمد صالح. (2024). رەنگڤەدانا گرنگترین بابەتێن هەبونگەریێ د ڕۆمانا (مرن د زەنگا ١٢ێ دا) یا نڤیسەر (كەوسەر شەوكەت). گۆڤاری زانكۆی كۆیە بۆ زانستە مرۆڤایەتی و كۆمەڵایەتیەكان، 7(2).
  • عزالدين، نهایە محمد صالح. (2024). كاریگەرییا گرێیا (دیانا) یا دەروونی ل سەر ئافرەتێ: تێكستێ ڕۆمانا ”ئەسمەرا پەرپۆك” وەك نمونە. گۆڤاری زانكۆ بۆ زانستە مروڤایەتییەكان (زانكۆیا سەڵاحەددین)، 6، 163-178.
  • عزالدين، نهایە محمد صالح. (2023). چاوانییا مفاوەرگرتنێ ژ نۆستالژیاییێ بۆ وەرارا تەكنیكا مۆنۆلوگێ د ڕۆمانا ستۆكهۆلمێ تە چ دیت بێژە، یا ”باڤێ نازێ” وەك نموونە.گۆڤارا زانكۆیا دهۆك، 26(2).

My research interests focus on modern Kurdish literature, particularly the novel, which I consider one of the most important literary genres capable of expressing the social, cultural, and psychological transformations within society. Novel criticism is a central pillar of my studies, alongside my interest in the novel and short story due to their structural and artistic connection to the field of narrative literature.

My research specifically focuses on studying the social, psychological, and cultural dimensions of novels and narrative texts, analyzing how societal issues and transformations are reflected within literary works, and engaging with modern critical approaches that connect literature to human and intellectual realities.

I also pay close attention to women's literature and feminist and gender studies, as these represent a significant aspect of my specialization in novel writing. I strive to study the image of women and representations of gender identity in the works of Kurdish writers, both men and women, and to analyze the associated cultural and social discourses within contemporary literary contexts. These interests reflect my orientation towards employing modern critical approaches in the study of Kurdish literature, and linking narrative texts to the intellectual, social and cultural issues that shape the reality of society and its development.

Academic supervision of graduation projects is a cornerstone of higher education, serving as a vital link between professors and students and playing a crucial role in developing research and methodological skills. In this context, my experience in academic supervision has spanned from 2011 to 2011, focusing on undergraduate projects in Kurdish literature and literature.

This experience began at the College of Humanities, University of Zakho, Department of Kurdish Language, where I supervised fourth-year student projects. This provided an opportunity to guide research according to established scientific principles in literary and critical studies. This journey continued at the University of Duhok, College of Basic Education, and remains ongoing to this day, forming a cumulative academic experience that serves university research.

The supervised research has encompassed diverse fields, most notably folklore literature, including proverbs, tales, and folk songs; comparative literature, through the study of the relationships between Kurdish literature and other literatures; and Kurdish novels and short stories, analyzing their narrative and aesthetic structures. Feminist literature has also received special attention, through the study of women's literary discourse and its social and cultural dimensions. This academic supervision has contributed to fostering critical thinking among students, developing their research and analytical skills, and enhancing their ability to utilize modern methodologies. It has also encouraged them to pursue postgraduate studies and engage in academic and cultural activities.

This supervisory experience, spanning more than fifteen years, exemplifies academic commitment to serving students and elevating the level of scientific research in Kurdish literature, thereby contributing to the advancement of the scientific and cultural movement within higher education institutions in the Kurdistan Region.