Summer Course

Since 1997 the School of Human Rights Research and the Catholic University of Leuven in cooperation with Northwestern University of Chicago and University of Notre Dame each year organize the Summer Course on Human Rights. This intensive two week course is an excellent combination of a unique opportunity to visit many interesting institutions and attend lectures and workshops taught by renowned scholars in The Hague and Leuven, both cities offer a unique environment for the Summer Course.

Now, after 13 editions of the annual Summer Course on Human Rights the organizing partners decided it is time to revitalize the programme of the Summer Course and to improve its quality. Therefore, the Summer Course will be postponed for one year. We advise you to check our website regularly about the next edition of the Summer Course.

During the first week of the course which takes place in The Hague, known also as the legal capital of the world, there is a possibility to visit important institutions such as the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, or the International Criminal Court, and the Peace Palace, home to the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration. At the beginning of the second week, which takes place in Leuven, the participants usually make a study trip to the Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg (France).

Generally speaking, the program of the Summer Course focuses on a specific human rights theme. Due attention is paid to procedures and institutions for human rights monitoring at the universal and regional level, their co-existence and effectiveness. Participants prepare group assignments on a topical issue and present the results to a panel of experts at the end of the week.

The working language is English, so participants should be proficient in this language. The Summer Course is an advanced course in the field of human rights. It is targeted towards young professionals with academic or practical experience in the field of human rights. The number of participants is limited to 30. In general, participants are aged between 25 and 35.

The next edition will take place in 2011. For more information on the Summer Course, please send an e-mail in due time to: rvdm-summercourse@uu.nl. Applications must be submitted on-line (as of 2011) on: http://sim.law.uu.nl/SIM/secretariaat/Summercourse.nsf/Summercourse?OpenForm