Why the Human Rights Program?

The Human Rights Program, based in the Institute for Global Studies, is a hub of interdisciplinary research, teaching, and outreach in the field of human rights. The Human Rights Program has a threefold mission:

• Advance human rights scholarship through support for research and publications
• Educate the next generation of human rights scholars and professionals
• Engage with serious human rights issues through timely and meaningful projects, public programs, and internships

International human rights is, by its very nature, an interdisciplinary subject, engaging many fields of academic study including the humanities, law, social sciences, public policy, business, education, and public health. The program therefore encourages faculty and students from all disciplines to contribute to understanding the causes and consequences of human rights violations and to use their abundant skills and curiosity to undertake research, analysis, and strategic advocacy to defend the fundamental human rights of all persons.

Human Rights University

The Human Rights Program is part of the Institute for Global Studies in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA). As an interdisciplinary hub of research, teaching, and outreach on human rights, HRP collaborates broadly with programs across the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Through the Human Rights Initiative, HRP has a special formal partnership with the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, which also includes the joint Humphrey-CLA Master of Human Rights degree. Together, the Human Rights Program, the Human Rights Initiative, the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, and the Human Rights Center in the Law School, alongside numerous other departments, programs, and centers engaged in human rights work, demonstrate the University of Minnesota’s deep commitment to academic scholarship, applied research, legal training, and policy promotion in the area of human rights, making it truly – the Human Rights University.