Russian universities lead human rights summer school

11 September 2017

More than 150 law students from across Russia took part in the fifth summer session of the Human Rights Masters Programme offered by a consortium of nine Russian universities. This year’s programme was held on June 26-30 at Ural State Law University in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Supported by the UN Human Rights Office in Moscow, the summer school featured lectures and workshops with United Nations human rights experts, civil society organizations, human rights defenders and ombudspersons from nine Russian regions.

"This summer session is designed to raise awareness of the principles and values of UN human rights treaties, to improve the partnership between the State and civil society, and to strengthen the practical skills of students in the field of human rights protection across Russia," said Rachid Alouach, a human rights officer at the UN Human Rights Office in Moscow.

The programme aims to educate young people about human rights, and particularly about the human rights of vulnerable groups, including migrants and refugees, children and persons with disabilities. The program also sought to mobilize youth to defend human rights and to engage students in our global campaign to "Stand Up for Someone’s Rights Today."

"The school not only gave me new knowledge in the field of migration and refugee law, but it showed how human rights laws and policies work in practice and the kinds of problems that arise during their implementation," said Ruslan Sharipov, a student from Kazan Federal University. "It is crucial for students to be aware of the practical impacts of the law, and this programme helped us understand this."

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