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This one-month course, jointly organized by Ghent University, University of Galway’s Irish Centre for Human Rights, and the Elena Bonner School of Human Rights and co-funded by the European Commission project ‘EU Public Diplomacy – Russia’, focuses on major human rights issues from two perspectives: the deteriorating state of human rights in Russia and the challenges to fundamental rights in Europe.

With the long tradition of annual human rights schools by the Elena Bonner School of Human Rights and the academic rigor of Ghent and Galway Universities, the course will examine the philosophical, political, and legal aspects of human rights in both Russian and European contexts. Although Russia is currently far from adopting a democratic trajectory, it is crucial to assess the present state of human rights in the country and explore potential avenues for improvement when the unprovoked war against Ukraine comes to an end.

The course will last from September 3 to October 10 and will offer 10 interactive lectures divided into two clusters:

Programme

Cluster 1: Human Rights in Russia: New Heights of Repressions

Lecture 1: Modern Russia: A Reversal from Human Rights to Traditional Values

Lecture 2: Prosecution of Russia’s War of Aggression Against Ukraine and the Limits of International Law

Lecture 3: The geo-politics of gender and sexuality in an era of EU-Russia competition

Lecture 4: Human Rights and Russian Society (Sociological Explorations)

 Lecture 5: Russia’s Other War: The Fight over Freedom of Expression

Cluster 2: Human Rights from the European Perspective: A Beacon of Hope?

Lecture 1: Human Rights in Europe and Its Institutions: Between Powers and Obligations

Lecture 2: Human Rights Restoration in Europe: Retrospective from Post-Dictatorship Spain and Portugal

Lecture 3: The Nexus Between Democracy, Human Rights, and Peace

Lecture 4: Climate Change and Human Rights

Lecture 5: Human Rights Aspects of International Migration Flows to Europe

During the course, participants will conduct research and present a project on a specific dimension of one of the topics discussed during the School or a comparative perspective of human rights in Europe and Russia.

The speakers will be confirmed soon.

Registration:

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 2024 is free of charge.

Application deadline is August 15, 2024.

APPLY NOW!

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