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The call for application for the Online School on Human Rights is now open.
The second edition of the School will explore the fundamental rights in the wider region of Europe shedding light on the realities of human rights in different political contexts. As the core theme of the School, human rights will be approached through the question of authoritarianism and its impact on enjoyment of various rights. the School will critically engage with how institutions and political systems affect human rights protection, explore core societal transformations in digital and environmental policies, and analyze the instrumentalization of human rights language. The program will also address human rights during armed conflicts, particularly relevant given the current global increase in warfare.

The objective of the School to equip participants with skills to understand human rights within different legal, political, and social contexts, critically analyse discursive narratives surrounding human rights, develop effective advocacy strategies, and conduct interdisciplinary human rights research.

The School is organised by ENLIGHT+ partners: Ghent University's Eureast Platform, The Irish Centre for Human Rights at the University of Galway, University of Groningen, and Uppsala University and Elena Bonner School of Human Rights.

Program Format

The 6-week program between 26 August – 2 October includes 30 academic hours (3 ECTS credits) delivered entirely online in English, with interactive lectures twice weekly (Tuesdays and Thursdays at 18:00 CET), a methodological workshop, collaborative group projects, and networking opportunities with students from across Europe, the Caucasus, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and Central Asia.

Programme

The School is structured into four thematic blocks, a methodological workshop, and a final project presentation.

Block 1: The mechanisms of human rights and its interaction with the nature of the political regime

• Lecture 1: Human rights, democracy and freedom: singing in unison?
• Lecture 2: The Implementation Gap: Challenges in Realising Human Rights
• Lecture 3: Economic, social and cultural rights: retreat in the age of neo-liberal ideology?

Block 2: New frontiers of human rights in a contested context

• Lecture 4: Women’s and LGBTQI+ rights versus ‘traditional values’? Contemporary global struggles around gender and sexuality
• Lecture 5: Digital rights in the era of post-truth
• Lecture 6: Climate justice: climate accountability for state and private companies

Block 3: Human rights and conflicts

• Lecture 7: State of emergencies and human rights in conflict
• Lecture 8: Justice and accountability for human rights violations

Block 4: From theory to practice: citizens’ engagement with human rights

• Lecture 9: Critical approaches to human rights: appropriation and abuse of human rights by authoritarian regimes
• Lecture 10: Human rights advocacy: citizens participation in human rights promotion and accountability

Methodological & Practical Components:

• Methodological workshop on interdisciplinary research on human rights: Equipping students with methods for analysis, documentation, and monitoring.
• Group Project: During the course, participants will work in small groups to research and prepare a project on a topic covered during the School, presenting their findings at the closing ceremony.

The full list of speakers from our partner universities will be confirmed soon.

Certificate

Upon the completion of the lectures and implementation of the group project, the participants will be given the certificates issued by all partner universities. The School workload is equivalent to 3 ECTS (upon the recognition of students’ host universities). To qualify for the certificate, participants must attend and actively engage in 10 lectures and complete the group project.

Eligibility

The School welcomes final-year undergraduate and graduate students from Europe, the Caucasus, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova and Central Asia who are interested in critically examining human rights challenges in contemporary political contexts.

To apply for the School, please submit an application via the registration form. All applicants must submit their CV (max. 2 pages) and a motivation letter (max. 1 page) explaining their motivation to take part in the School and their background in human rights.

Participation in the Online School on Human Rights 2025 is free of charge.

Application deadline is 27 July 2025.

APPLY NOW!  

For more information, please contact:
iana.ovsiannikova@ugent.be
dzhanruslan.sc@gmail.com