Human rights

Human rights have no borders or boundaries. They are the global language of the world.

Our approach is interdisciplinary, with the theory and practice of human rights embedded in our work. Join our thriving community of expert staff, students and graduates who have genuine global impact in the field. We’re ranked 17th for promoting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (THE Impact Rankings 2023).

Dr Andrew Fagan, our Human Rights Centre Director believes it is a crucial time for Human Rights around the world. Our Human Rights Centre is internationally recognised for the breadth and depth of its research projects. Essex is one of only four universities with a memorandum of understanding with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), a development that recognises the breadth of education that Essex provides in relation to the protection of refugees.

Unsure of where a Human Rights degree may lead you? Our graduates have gone onto lead successful careers in organisations such as the International Committee of the Red Cross, GirlPower and the European Network Against Racism. Find out more on our careers webpage.

At Essex we are concerned with confronting and overcoming oppression and discrimination around the world. We enjoy a worldwide reputation for research, teaching and practice, and our pioneering staff have held prestigious positions within the UN and other international organisations.

Our research projects

Essex Human Rights Centre offers the opportunity for students to get involved with various different research projects. The Human Rights Centre Clinic also runs projects as part of the Human Rights Centre Clinic Module (HU902), which is open to postgraduate human rights students.

Projects address a range of human rights and humanitarian law-related issues and generally involve research that partners need in order to further human rights advocacy and implementation of human rights or humanitarian law norms. For example, supporting litigation, advocacy, policy and programme development or technical guidance on human rights.

Our research community encompasses internationally renowned scholars whose work ranges from research into the philosophical and normative bases of human rights, through to more practically-oriented interests in the legal, political and sociological application of human rights.

Expertise and supervision

We specialise in the application of theory to real human rights problems. Within Essex Law School our research has a particular focus on the right to health, civil and political rights; including the prohibition against torture and detention related issues, and the law of armed conflict and acute crises. To find out more about us read our biographies and then use our research finder to find a supervisor. Alternatively, search research finder for your interest as a supervisor may be from a different department but specialise in an area of human rights.

Doctoral Affiliates Network

Our Doctoral Affiliates Network is a community of PhD students at the University of Essex, who are engaged in some related aspect of human rights research, and who wish to benefit from sharing ideas and research within a more multi and inter-disciplinary environment than would typically be possible within a single department or discipline.

Membership of the Network is open to any student studying a PhD at Essex. 

Human Rights Centre

Our Human Rights Centre is a community of students, alumni and academics that provides excellence in human rights theory and practice through interdisciplinary research and education. We were awarded the Queen's Anniversary Prize in 2010 in recognition of our work in advancing global human rights.

Our research groups include the Essex Armed Conflict and Crisis Hub along with the Business and Human Rights group.

Research clusters

We have extensive expertise across the following research clusters, amongst others. These clusters provide a focus for critical debate, research collaboration and teaching innovation. Postgraduate research students can get involved in the Law and Technology and Human Rights clusters.