Human Rights

Backed by continuing high demand and excellent feedback on the online delivery mode and the expanded curriculum delivered in the last few years, the sessions will cover a range of research methods and skills necessary for successful human rights practice and professional development in a challenging world. Thus, the sessions cover current trends and challenges, advocacy in offline and online settings, coping strategies for human rights advocates, and practitioner case studies to enrich the expertise of mid-career professionals and empower students who wish to embark on a career in human rights research or practice.

Sessions will run from Monday to Friday, 1pm to 4.30pm BST

Summer School Sessions for 2026

• Inaugural session: Keynote Speeches: Human Rights in an Age of Polarisation
• Depolarising Interventions: Evidence from Around the World (Prof Cherian George, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong)
• UN Human Rights Council at 20: Pathways to Strengthening the Impact of Human Rights  (Dr Marc Limon, Universal Rights Group, Geneva)
• Research Design: Legal and Qualitative Case Study (Prof Nazila Ghanea, University of Oxford, Oxford, and United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief)
• Quantitative Methods: Statistics, Indicators and Human Rights (Judith Bueno de Mesquita, Essex Law School)
• Tracking Success in Interventions to Promote Freedom of Religious or Belief (Indira Aslanova, Head, Research Center for Religious Studies, Philosophy and Religious Studies Chair, Kyrgyz Russian Slavic University, Bishkek)
• Interviewing Survivors with Special Needs (Prof Carla Ferstman, Director, Essex Human Rights Centre, Essex Law School)
• Strategic Communications and Framing (Dr Koldo Casla, Essex Law School and United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing
• Operational Challenges and Opportunities: A Field Perspective (Prof Geoff Gilbert, Essex Law School)
• Maximising Impact in Working with UN Mechanisms (Dr Matthew Gillett, Essex Law School and Chair, United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention)
• Trauma and Building Resilience for Human Rights Work (Dr Patricia Palacious Zuloagas, Essex Law School)
• Litigation (Prof Carla Ferstman, Director, Essex Human Rights Centre, Essex Law School)
• Transitional Justice: Law and Practice (Dr Aoife Duffy, Essex Law School)
• AI Governance (Prof Lorna McGregor, Essex Law School)
• Environmental Rights - Principles and Practice (Dr Stephen Turner, Essex Law School)
• Human Rights Amidst Culture Wars (Dr Andrew Fagan, Essex Law School)
• Gender Equality and Human Rights (Dr Patricia Palacious Zuloagas, Essex Law School)
• Monitoring and Responding to Hate Crimes amidst Polarisation: the UK Experience (Iman Atta OBE, Executive Director, Tell MAMA UK, London)
• Counteracting Disinformation (Dr Elena Sherstoboeva, Essex Law School)
• Fostering Social Cohesion in the Digital Age: the Future of Public Spaces (Shlomit Broder, Executive Director, Digital Public Square, Toronto)
• The Far Right and Hate (Dr Eviane Leidig, Director of Research and Outreach, Center for the Study of Organised Hate, Washington, DC)
• Practical Approaches to Building Societal Cohesion (Rose Richter and Ahmed Shaheed, Religion and Equality Project, Essex Human Rights Centre)

Instructors for the 2026 Summer School:

• Professor Nazila Ghanea, Professor of International Human Rights Law, University of Oxford, and UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief
• Dr Patricia Palacios Zuloaga, Lecturer, Essex Law School, and co-Deputy Director, Research Mandate Human Rights Centre, University of Essex
• Dr Koldo Casla, Senior Lecturer, Essex Law School, and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex, and UN Special rapporteur on Adequate Housing
• Judith Bueno de Mesquita, Senior Lecturer, Essex Law School, and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex
• Professor Geoff Gilbert, Sergio Vieira de Mello Professor of International Human Rights & Humanitarian Law, Essex Law School, Chair of the Global Academic Interdisciplinary Network of the Global Compact on Refugees, University of Essex and Senior Adviser on Protection Policy and Legal Advice (PPLA) 
• Rose Richter, Executive Director, Impact Iran and Consultant, Religion and Equality Project, Essex Human Rights Centre
• Dr Matthew Gillett, Senior Lecturer, Essex Law School, and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex and Chair Rapporteur of UN working group on Arbitrary Detention
• Dr Aoife Duffy, Senior Lecturer, Essex Law School, and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex 
• Professor Ahmed Shaheed, Essex Law School, and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex and former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief and former UN Special Rapporteur on Iran
• Professor Cherian George, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong
• Dr Marc Limon, Universal Rights Group, Geneva
• Professor Carla Ferstman, Director, Essex Human Rights Centre, Essex Law School
• Indira Aslanova, Research Center for Religious Studies, Philosophy and Religious Studies Chair, Kyrgyz Russian Slavic University, Bishkek
• Professor Lorna McGregor, Essex Law School and Human Rights Centre and Director of the multi-disciplinary Human Rights, Big Data and Technology Project (HRBDT)
• Dr Stephen Turner, Senior Lecturer, Essex Law School, and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex
• Dr Andrew Fagan, Senior Lecturer, Essex Law School
• Iman Atta OBE, Executive Director, Tell MAMA UK, London
• Shlomit Broder, CEO, Digital Public Square, Toronto
• Dr Eviane Leidig, Director of Research and Outreach, Center for the Study of Organised Hate, Washington, DC
• Dr Elena Sherstoboeva, Lecturer, Essex Law School, and Human Rights Centre, University of Essex

In taking this course, participants will: 

• Acquire a strong understanding of the several methods used in human rights research covering qualitative and quantitative methods
• Learn to design research projects with a strong methodology to have optimal impact on policy and practice
• Gain a strong appreciation of a range of tools and approaches to holding governments to account, including litigation, international advocacy, and tracking impacts of policy interventions
• Acquire insights into a range of pressing human rights challenges and emerging good practices, especially in responding to societal polarisation and advocacy of hate in online and offline settings.
• Learn ways to build resilience and support the well-being of human rights advocates in the face of their constant or extraordinary exposure to various forms and types of trauma in their line of work
• Gain insights into various aspects of field practice from a number of practitioners on promoting human rights in national international contexts

It is an ideal course for postgraduate students, academics, lawyers and human rights professionals working in NGOs, government and international organisations.

We will conduct sessions via the video conferencing software Zoom. Participants must have access to appropriate computing facilities as well as a reliable internet connection to enable full participation in the online sessions. In addition, many of our sessions will be able to offer recordings that will be available to those enrolled.

We will ensure that each participant has access to the necessary software to participate in their course, along with other materials, as part of your course fees. 

For best learning success, participants should have the background knowledge necessary to follow a course by reading through the provided course instructions and reading lists. 

Anyone who is uncertain about whether the Summer School is suitable for their needs or their background should contact the Human Rights Summer School team for advice: hrcsummerschool@essex.ac.uk

 Applications for our 2026 Summer School are now open.

Please note that we are unable to offer any scholarships for this Summer School.

Please get in touch for details of further discounts that are available for the following:

• Partner organisations wishing to send 5 or more participants
• Returning participants

Applying to the Summer School

Applications to the Human Rights Summer School are now open.

Please complete the application form. 

Your application will then be reviewed by a member of the Human Rights Summer School team and you will be contacted if you are successful.

You will then be sent a link to pay as well as details on how to complete the next steps of the registration process. Once you have paid you will receive confirmation of your place. Applications and payments will need to be finalised by 15 June 2026 in order for you to be given necessary access. 

For any payment issues or queries, please contact hrcsumsc@essex.ac.uk

Please note, to take part in the summer school virtually you will need access to a laptop/computer and have a reliable internet connection.

Webshop 

You can pay for your place online via our Webshop which you will be sent a link to after completing the application form. The University bank will accept Visa, Mastercard, and Eurocard.

Paying by Proficio

Essex Research students need to enrol via Proficio in addition to the online application. 

If you are paying for your course fee using University of Essex Proficio funds, you will need to use the Proficio platform.

Paying by invoice

If you specifically require payment via an invoice, please email us: hrcsummerschool@essex.ac.uk

After payment

Once you've paid, we will send you our welcome pack with instructions on how to finalise your place.