Our events

The Human Rights Summer School

The Essex Human Rights Summer School will cover various topics related to professional practice in human rights. Taught by an international faculty of leading experts in the field, the Summer School will examine human rights research methods, advocacy and campaigning strategies, and aspects of professional development. The programme includes sessions that address growing challenges human rights professionals face and highlights opportunities to overcome them. The Summer School curriculum is designed to build the capacity of both mid-career human rights professionals and postgraduate students to be successful human rights defenders and researchers.

The teaching programme covers a range of research methods and skills necessary for successful human rights practice and professional development. In addition to modules covering various research methods, the curriculum includes sessions on advocacy, organisational management, coping strategies and practitioner case studies.

It is an ideal course for postgraduate students, academics, lawyers and human rights professionals working in NGOs, government and international organisations. and will take place online, over two weeks.

The Human Rights Leadership Lab

The Human Rights Leadership Lab is a supportive and reflective learning space to develop your leadership presence, skills and impact. It is the first-ever leadership development training specifically designed to meet the needs of activists and leaders and managers working for human rights organisations.

Learn how to better motivate, empower and lead our people and build healthier and more sustainable working environments using a human rights values-based leadership approach. Together we will reflect upon some of the practical challenges and dilemmas faced in a human rights space, including how to deal with traumatic content and the stressful nature of the work.

This short course is suitable for human rights professionals, and takes place online twice a year and is made up of six, four hour sessions held over 6 weeks.

You will acquire concrete tools and skills to practice human rights values-based leadership and take your leadership ability, skills and presence to the next level.

International Law in Armed Conflict

The Essex Human Rights Centre and Essex Armed Conflict and Crisis Hub present a four day practical development course, designed to provide the foundations for understanding the role of international law in situations of armed conflict. We will learn how the law regulates the conduct of parties to the conflict, how it seeks to combine principles of military necessity and humanity, and the protections it provides to affected populations. Alongside the applicable rules, the course will provide insight into how these are implemented in practice, with a focus on the real-world challenges faced by those in the field.

Taught by leading practitioners in the field of International Humanitarian Law, the course runs over four days at our Colchester campus and will include an interactive approach combining presentations, discussion, and case-studies.

This course is suitable for human rights practitioners, staff from government and international bodies, as well as post-graduate students and academics seeking knowledge in this field.