Global Institute for Human Rights
Summer 2020 Certificate Program
June 8 – 12, 2020 | Philadelphia, PA & New York, NY
Calling All Change Agents — One week of engagement can help to change the world.
Who Should Apply
Why You Should Attend
The Institute brings experienced human rights advocates and practitioners from around the world to the table to share their experiences and career paths with students.
This program is designed to increase your understanding of human rights theory through a blend of interactive lectures that explore the most current and pressing human rights issues.
The sessions help to uncover the ways that human rights advocacy can intersect with your career aspirations, whether in law, policy, business, or other fields.
Learn from the shared experiences of fellow students from around the globe and expand your network of human rights advocates leading change both near and far.
The Institute is designed to transform students into becoming the next generation of human rights scholars, practitioners, and leaders. Past students of the Institute have gone on to lead impactful advocacy work in different parts of the world, including Latin America and the Middle East, as well have gone on to attend law school, including Penn Law.
Curriculum
The Global Institute for Human Rights offers an immersive, one-week course of study aimed at undergraduate and graduate students passionate about a career in human rights advocacy, or just looking to enhance their awareness on such topics as women’s rights and the basic rights of migrants and refugees. The Institute is unique compared to traditional academic studies of human rights, as the focus of this program is on bringing working human rights advocates from around the world to the table to share their experiences and career paths with the next generation of human rights advocates. The Institute locates human rights as foundational to leadership. The bedrock principles of the human rights agenda is the bulwark of global citizenship.
Lecturers for the 2020 Institute*
*Lecturers subject to change.
Program Fee
- $2,795 – Applications Received by February 28, 2020
- $2,995 – Applications Received after March 1, 2020
Program fee includes all lectures and course materials, daily breakfast, as well as a luncheon at and travel to/from the United Nations in New York City on June 12.
Application Deadlines
- The “Early Notification” deadline is February 28, 2020. Students who apply by this date, and are accepted, will receive $200 off the program fee.
- The final application deadline is May 8, 2020.
Admission will be granted on a rolling basis, but we encourage everyone interested to apply as early as possible as there are a limited number of spots available in the program.
Application Process
Admission into this program is based upon the background and materials submitted via the formal, online application process. The application fee for the program is $50.
Complete instructions for submitting an application can found on the Application Instructions page.
Scholarship Opportunity & Financial Aid
The Institute is offering two full-tuition scholarships to eligible students, as well as a limited amount of financial aid to qualified applicants. For more information on applying for financial aid, please visit the Application Instructions page.
Contact Us
Questions about the Institute, application process, and admissions can be directed to GIHR@law.upenn.edu.
Academic Director
Rangita De Silva De Alwis is the Associate Dean for International Programs at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She is an esteemed women’s human rights scholar and practitioner with over 25 years of experience working globally in over 25 countries. Rangita has worked with a vast network of academic institutions, governments, and non-government entities on women’s human rights law, policy making, and institutional reform.