The Human Rights Concentration at SIPA enjoys the rich intellectual resources of the University devoted to the multifaceted aspects of human rights across the various schools and departments. The Institute for the Study of Human Rights, which has been a focal point for human rights activities on campus for almost 30 years, is a major partner and resource for the academic work of SIPA students. The close cooperation between the Institute and the SIPA program has fostered new and old synergies, which continue to benefit SIPA students as well as the University at large.
Students are challenged to understand human rights across fields and varied contexts, and to garner skills that include not only substantive knowledge on the machineries of rights claiming at international and local levels, but also tools of analysis, such as gender/race critical theories and theories of globalization. As such, the concentration is designed to allow flexibility for students’ specialty within human rights (illustrative examples: Human Rights and Development; Human Rights and Corporate Social Responsibility; Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs; Human Rights and Climate Change; Gender Rights; Refugee Rights; Transitional Justice, etc.). Students may also choose to focus more generally on the field of human rights without specialty.
Students in the Human Rights Concentration have traditionally constituted a supportive and integrative community, with benefits both to personal and professional relations. It is at once a rigorous and rewarding concentration. We welcome your interest and participation in the human rights field.
