Human Rights at UConn
Examining the most pressing human rights questions and preparing the next generation of human rights leaders.
The Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute at the University of Connecticut advances knowledge and leadership in human rights through transformative education, interdisciplinary scholarship, and engaged research. By bringing together students, scholars, and practitioners, the Institute generates knowledge that promotes and protects human rights in Connecticut and around the world.
Research
Our faculty pursue novel and critical approaches to human rights scholarship in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, as well as in the fields of law, engineering, heath, business, education, and social work. The Institute supports interdisciplinary collaboration across these fields, with a specific focus on thematic research clusters in global health and human rights, economic and social rights, critical humanitarianism, and human rights practice.
Teaching
We house one of the largest undergraduate and graduate programs in human rights in the country, including a major and a minor in human rights, graduate certificate, and a Master of Arts in human rights. Students receive a broad, interdisciplinary grounding in human rights history, theory, and practice, specialize in a range of issues and fields, and engage in experiential learning opportunities with leading human rights practitioners around the world.
Practice
HRI fosters a culture of human rights through engagement and community impact in Connecticut and around the world. We partner with communities, organizations, government agencies, schools, and nonprofits to address real-world issues, provide hands-on experience for students, and produce knowledge that has practical impact.
UConn Today News
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Two associate professors and two fellows bring expertise in legal theory, human rights, clinical education, and legal history.
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Libal talks about some of the most pressing human rights issues we’re currently facing, the importance of human rights education, and what students as well as average community members can do to help enact change
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HRI is proud to award more than $130,000 through its annual funding competitions, supporting human rights scholarship and research across the university
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Kristina Hook draws on her long-term ethnographic fieldwork in Ukraine providing a zoomed-in view of the war as it is lived and fought
In the News
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Two HRI Affiliates announced as 2026-27 Humanities Institute Fellows
Eleni Coundouriotis and Camilo Ruiz, both active members of the HRI community, were recently selected as faculty fellows for their respective projects “History for the Future: Twenty-first Century African Historical Fiction” and “Participation and the Politics of Knowledge: A Collection of Multimodal Participatory Action Research Projects in Colombia and the United States.”
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Let’s call ICE violence what it is
“What we call a killing is not purely a matter of semantics. It is a matter of legal obligation to our own standards” | Dr. David Richards writes for the CT Mirror.
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Activist Pedagogy for Critical and Transformative Human Rights Education: A University Program for K-12 Teachers and High School Students
The Human Rights Close to Home (HRCH) enters its third year at the University of Connecticut focusing on activist pedagogy in both its student fellow program for high school students and teacher program for K-12 educators.
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New ‘People’s Migrant School’ in Hartford connects UConn to community
The University of Connecticut and Hartford Deportation Defense launched a new “People’s Migrant School” in Hartford to connect UConn students and research with the city’s immigrant communities through bilingual presentations and community engagement.
Upcoming Events
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Nov16Community-Engaged Praxis in Peace, Social Justice & Human Rights EducationThe Dodd Center for Human Rights12:00 PM
Book Launch for “Partnering for Transformation in Schools and Beyond: Community-Engaged Praxis in Peace, Social Justice, and Human Rights Education” (TC Press, 2026) with co-editors Sandra Sirota, Amy Argenal, and Maria Hantzopoulos.
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Nov17Accelerated MA in Human Rights Information Session11:00 AM
Human Rights is a growing and diverse field, with UConn among few leading institutions globally with a specialist degree program to prepare graduate students. Join us for a virtual info session hosted by our Educational Program Administrator, Dr. Alyssa Webb, to learn more about our accelerated 4+1 Master of Arts in Human Rights program.
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Nov17Pressure to Act: Challenges for Business & Human Rights in the Current U.S. Context12:15 PM
In today’s context, including coordinated attacks on human rights and environmental standards in business and investment, U.S. companies face a choice: uphold human rights and support civic space, or contribute to their erosion in the U.S. and around the world. What choice are they making?