Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee to Shehba Canton because of the Turkish invasion of Afrin on 20 January. The approximately 850 students of the University of Afrin also had to cancel their studies because of the Turkish occupation. The University of Afrin was the first university in Rojava. It had four faculties and six departments.

In Shehba and Qamishlo, a campaign has now been launched for the affected students so that they can continue their education at the University of Rojava in Qamishlo. In the canton of Shehba, a committee has been set up to enroll students in Qamishlo. The committee also looks after accommodations. So far, 15 students from Afrin have successfully applied for a place in Qamishlo. Thirteen of them study Kurdish literature, two continue their studies in agriculture department.

As Merwa Elyas, head of the University of Rojava, said, Qamishlo does not have all the programs that existed in Afrin before the Turkish occupation. Unfortunately, not all students have the opportunity to continue their education. However, it is planned to set up further courses. Interested parties should contact Rojava University to expand their curriculum according to their needs, according to Elyas.