Human Rights Initiative 2024 Report

The Human Rights Initiative (HRI) is blazing a trail at the forefront of human rights scholarship, education and advocacy. The 2024 Human Rights Initiative report showcases the impact of HRI's multidisciplinary approach to championing human rights both locally and worldwide. From groundbreaking academic work to impactful community engagement, HRI is positioning the University of Minnesota as a powerful force for positive change. HRI is equipping the next generation of human rights scholars and practitioners with the tools they need to build a more just, equitable, and free world. This report invites you to explore HRI's latest achievements, ongoing initiatives, and plans to expand the frontiers of human rights research, teaching, and activism.

​​The Human Rights Initiative is a collaborative effort of the College of Liberal Arts (CLA) and the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. It promotes interdisciplinary engaged research and teaching in the field of human rights to strengthen practice and the profession overall. The Human Rights Initiative Research Fund provides direct research funding to University of Minnesota faculty and staff to carry out human rights projects. HRI has awarded 27 grants totaling almost $1 million between 2017 and 2023. This significant investment in our faculty, students, and staff has resulted in timely and meaningful academic, policy, and community outcomes as well as student development. 

The 2024 HRI report reflects its diverse achievements across a range of focus areas: scholarly excellence, artistic expression, policy impact, community engagement, student development, and HRI investment leading to additional funding. As you’ll see in the full report, HRI is positioning the University of Minnesota at the forefront of human rights scholarship and education. 

Read the full report here, and learn more about the Human Rights Initiative.