Koya University

Koya University (KOU) is a comprehensive public university in Koya (Koy Sanjaq), 65 km southeast of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It was founded in 2003 by former Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. The website lists accreditation by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (MOHESR) in Baghdad and by the corresponding ministry of the Kurdistan Regional Government.

The university has more than 5,000 students and over 1,000 permanent academic and administrative staff. Its 27 academic departments are grouped in six faculties:

• Faculty of Education
• Faculty of Engineering
• Faculty of Science and Health
• Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Physical Education

Classes for the 2026-27 academic year began on 20 September 2026. The university offers on-campus housing and online learning, and it promotes student and staff exchange and international partnerships. Under its Green University initiative, KOU aims to be the first university in Iraq to adopt sustainability as a core goal; the university reports that it ranks first among universities in the Kurdistan Region in the UI GreenMetric World Rankings.