Global Campus of Human Rights


The Global Campus of Human Rights is a worldwide network of over 100 universities, supported by the European Union, dedicated to promoting human rights and democracy through specialized higher education, research and advocacy. It brings together eight regional programmes across the world to train future human rights defenders and professionals. It succeeded in 2019 the European Inter-University Centre and its head office is housed in the Monastery of [San Nicolò al Lido] which has been made available by the Municipality of Venice, Italy.
In 2019, the Global Campus of Human Rights integrated into its governance 6 non-European universities: Mahidol University, the National University of San Martin, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, the State University of Yerevan, the University of Pretoria and the University of Sarajevo.

Administration

  • Prof. Veronica Gomez, GC President
  • Prof. Zdzislaw Kedzia, EIUC President
  • Prof. Dr. Horst Fischer, EIUC President.
  • Prof. Dr. Manfred Nowak, EIUC Secretary General.
  • Prof. Florence Benoît-Rohmer, EIUC Secretary General.
  • Prof. Ria Wolleswinkel, E.MA Chairperson.

E.MA Programme Directors

  • Dr. Anja Mihr.
  • Dr. Pietro Sullo.
  • Dr. Andraž Zidar.
  • Prof. George Ulrich.
  • Dr. Orla Ní Cheallacháin.

Non-Consortium Experts

The following are experts involved in the E.MA, having helped with teaching or thesis supervising from other institutions:
UniversityCountryAcademics Past & Present
Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für Menschenrechte

E.MA Kosovo Field Trip

Every year this field trip is a pivotal element of the E.MA and has been organized since the Programme's inception, first in Bosnia and Herzegovina and then in Kosovo since 2004. This part of the course aims at providing deeper insights into the practical tasks, difficulties, and expectations with which human rights officers in the field are faced, and to get a better understanding of the real situation in a post-conflict country. Students usually go to Kosovo in January. The training comprises visits to international organisations and institutions as well as local and regional non-governmental organisations working on the most essential human rights issues, such as property claims, torture related questions, legal advice, women's rights, democratic elections, free media and children's rights. The field trip also consists of short excursions to Priština. Students usually stay with host families and are required to participate in all activities and events organised by the E.MA academic staff, external facilitators from the EU and other experts. The trip has long been coordinated by Marijana Grandits from the University of Vienna and the local representatives at the University of Pristina whose Faculty of Philology is usually the main meeting point.

Extracurricular

EIUC organises The Venice School of Human Rights for postgraduate students from all academic backgrounds, The Venice Academy of Human Rights for advanced students and worldwide distinguished experts, and a series of advanced training courses dedicated to helping officials of international organisations, field personnel, and E.MA graduates transfer academic and institutional expertise into the public sphere.

Venue

The venue is the Benedictine Monastery of San Nicolò al Lido, situated on the lagoon side of the Lido di Venezia, conceded by the City of Venice in 1998 and became the seat of E.MA in 2002 with the establishment of the EIUC. The monastery was founded in the 11th century and transformed into a Renaissance cloister in the 16th century. After the Republic of Venice suppressed the Benedictine order in 1770, the monastery was re-opened by Franciscan monks for educational purposes.

International Research Projects

The EIUC participates in different international research projects, it regularly organises high level conferences, seminars and workshops on the latest scientific and academic developments, and it is a member of the Association of Human Rights Institutions. In March 2007, EIUC launched a series entitled "EIUC Studies on Human Rights and Democratisation" published by Cambridge University Press.