Why the Human Rights Program?

Mission

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, partnerships, and internships

Vision

We envision a world where all people are equal in dignity and rights and have equal access to justice. The HRP aspires to enable all students to: engage as leaders in human rights and social justice fields, solve complex human rights and social justice problems, and create a community where the dignity and rights of all human beings are promoted and protected.

Values

International human rights is an interdisciplinary subject engaging many fields of study across academic disciplines, including the arts, humanities, law, social sciences, public policy, business, education and public health. We encourage 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. We are committed to the principles of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Justice (DEIAJ) and strive to better align our practices with these principles.

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.