April 8, 2024
Harnessing the Market for Social Change: Investors and Responsible Contracting
Supported by the Business & Human Rights Initiative.
Chavi Keeney Nana and Sarah Dadush explore the evolving landscape of responsible business conduct, focusing on legal requirements for human rights and environmental due diligence (HREDD) in corporate supply chains. This talk concerns the critical role contracts play in due diligence and how they aid investors in evaluating risks to human rights and the environment when making investment decisions.

April 2, 2024
Design for Freedom: Constructing a Humane Future with Ethical Materials
Supported by the Business & Human Rights Initiative, the Engineering for Human Rights Initiative, and the Grace Farms Foundation.
The Design for Freedom movement brings industry leaders together to eliminate forced labor in the building materials supply chain, create true market transformation, and build a more equitable future.

February 23, 2024
Filling the Gaps: Measuring Respect for Children’s Rights around the World
Co-sponsored by the Human Rights Research and Data Hub.
Liz Kaletski and Annie Watson join the Economic & Social Rights Group and Human Rights Research & Data Hub to discuss a new metric of human rights under development that incorporates the themes outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

February 8, 2024
Realizing Economic Rights in the Blue Economy: Challenges and Opportunities
Co-sponsored by the Connecticut Baden-Wurttemberg Human Rights Research Consortium.
In this collaborative event, Patrick Heidkamp examines the evolving discourse on—and promise of—the ‘Blue Economy’ for economic rights. He explores its positive reception by growth-minded development advocates, as well as critiques levied by those urging consideration for environmental sustainability, equity, justice, and geographical sensitivity.

January 24, 2024
Movement at the Margins? Shifting American Attitudes among Pandemic-era Childcare Benefits Recipients
Co-sponsored by the Political Economy Workshop in the Department of Political Science.
How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect Americans’ views on social policy? In this collaborative discussion, hear from Lyle Scruggs, Trevor Schantz, and Shareen Hertel on new findings that uncover how pandemic-era hardship impacted partisan attitudes toward government social spending.

December 1, 2023
Business & Human Rights in Collegiate Apparel Sourcing
Co-hosted by the Business & Human Rights Initiative.
Verifying human rights standards are upheld in global supply chains is no easy task, but one essential for both ethical and legal compliance. To hear how professionals that work with UConn maintain this standard, come join us for a student-facing conversation with those who oversee ethics and compliance in one of UConn’s top licensed apparel manufacturers, Colosseum Athletics.

November 14, 2023
The Emancipatory Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Inclusive STEM Education
Hardly a day goes by without another story of the impact that AI will have on education. Whether praised for its fast-improving capabilities or derided for its use as a tool for cheating, we cannot lose sight of the potential that new technologies might hold for different constituencies when implemented carefully. In this talk, we ask “How might AI help us to address educational inequities in STEM?” with a particular focus on engineering education.

November 9, 2023
Abolition Redux? Rethinking Conventions on Slavery and Forced Labor in the Interwar Years
Co-hosted by the Business & Human Rights Initiative.
Mishal Khan, an expert on histories of slavery, abolition, and social change in South Asia under the British empire, discusses how ideas around Indian labor shaped international discussion and conventions in the interwar period, and how those racial stereotypes became solidified in law.

October 3, 2023
‘We, the Data: Human Rights in the Digital Age’ Discussion with Author Wendy Wong
Co-hosted by the Business & Human Rights Initiative, the Engineering for Human Rights Initiative, the Human Rights Research & Data Hub, and the UConn School of Law.
Political scientist Wendy Wong rallies for extending human rights beyond our physical selves and rebooting rights in our data-intensive world.

September 19, 2023
"Ethical Dilemmas: Corporate Response and Market Reaction to the Russia-Ukraine War"
Co-hosted by the Business & Human Rights Initiative and the Human Rights Research & Data Hub.
In this Business & Human Rights Workshop, join Lingling Wang (UConn School of Business) for a presentation and discussion on the ethical considerations for foreign companies operating in Russia in essential human needs industries.

March 29, 2023
“Supply Chains Disrupted: The Social & Environmental Dimensions of Reform”
These panels at the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute's 20th Anniversary Conference cut distinct routes through the human rights terrain while remaining rooted in rigorous social science and humanities methods of inquiry.
Speakers: Tola Moeun (Executive Director, Center for Alliance of Labor and Human Rights in Cambodia), Marina Colby (Senior Labor Advisor, USAID), Mark Anner (Professor in the School of Labor & Employment Relations, Penn State University), and Judy Gearhart (Senior Researcher, American University School of International Service)

February 17, 2023
"Human Rights Implications of UConn's Future Climate Venture Studio"
A roundtable discussion centered on how human rights issues intersect with the work of one of UConn's newest ventures in climate research.
Speakers: Abhijit Banerjee (Associate Vice President for Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Office of the Vice President for Research, University of Connecticut), Lyle Scruggs (Department of Political Science, University of Connecticut), Oksan Bayulgen (Department of Political Science, University of Connecticut), and Michael Rubin (Human Rights Institute, Schools of Business and Engineering, University of Connecticut)

November 1, 2022
“Understanding the Effectiveness of State and Worker-Led Efforts to Combat Forced Labour in Supply Chains”
Hosted by the Business & Human Rights Initiative.
Speakers: Genevieve LeBaron (Simon Fraser University) and Rachel Chambers (School of Business, University of Connecticut)

October 13, 2022
“Upending Capitalism as We Know It? Public Policy Experimentation and Its Implications for Business”
Hosted by the Business & Human Rights Initiative.
In this paper we develop a framework that helps make sense of the varied implications such experiments have for business, trace how one successful experiment unfolded, and offer lessons it may hold for others. Doing so, we hope, will reinforce this trial, inspire others, and begin to help business leaders understand how they might engage in the various paths to a more democratic and prosperous future.
Speakers: Tricia Olsen (University of Denver) and Lyle Scruggs (Department of Political Science, University of Connecticut)

September 28, 2022
“Disability Rights & Urban Development”
Dr. Tina Kempin Reuter will discuss how to transform cities into spaces that reflect fundamental human rights principles and prioritize inclusion and equity, especially for marginalized communities such as people with disabilities. Looking at both the built environment and the current trends towards technologization of cities, she will show how a human rights framework can change the urban discourse and how community-based participatory approaches can influence both research on urban development and smart cities as well as policy processes and empowerment of underserved communities.
Speaker: Tina Kempin Reuter (The University of Alabama at Birmingham)

April 6, 2022
“Suffer The Children' - A Book Talk With Author Richard P. Hiskes”
Co-sponsored by the Collaboratory on School & Child Health at the Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP), and the Department of Human Development & Family Sciences.
Richard P. Hiskes, whose widely acclaimed new book addresses the centrality of social and economic rights within a broader discussion of why taking children's human rights seriously turns conventional human rights theory upside down. The book establishes the theoretical foundation for prioritizing social and economic rights in the name of children’s human rights.
Speaker: Richard P. Hiskes (Department of Political Science, University of Connecticut)

March 4, 2022
“Using International Human Rights to Counter Urban Displacement and Advance Rights in Cities”
Speaker: Jackie Smith (University of Pittsburgh)

February 18, 2022
“Resist or Embrace: Environmental Human Rights Advocacy at International Human Rights Organizations”
In the first of three Economic & Social Rights Group events planned for this spring, Dr. Bi Zhao will present her research entitled “Resist or embrace: environmental human rights advocacy at international human rights organizations."
Speaker: Bi Zhao (Whitworth University)

November 18, 2016
"Pandemics And Portals: Rights In An Era Of Technological Innovation"
Speaker: Sushma Raman (Carr Center for Human Rights Policy)

April 22, 2021 
“The Earthday Roundtable on Food Security and Food Sovereignty” 
Co-sponsored by UConn Reads. 
The panelists will explore the role that grassroots agroecology movements could play in influencing the nature and the outcomes of anticipated changes in the existing food systems.
Speakers: Annette Desmarais (Canada Research Chair in Human Rights, Social Justice and Food Sovereignty at University of Manitoba), Michael Fakhri (UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food), and Maywa Montenegro (Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz)

February 19, 2021 
“Residential Segregation in an Urbanizing India” 
Co-sponsored by the Political Economy Working Group (PEW), and the India/South Asia Studies Program. 
Near perfect residential segregation – based on caste and religion – is a constitutive demo-graphic feature of India’s agrarian society. We introduce a new micro-dataset to study if urbanization modifies spatial relationships between social groups
Speakers: Naveen Bharathi (University of Pennsylvania), Deepak Malghanb (Indian Institute of Management Bangalore), and Andaleeb Rahman (Cornell University)

January 29, 2021 
“Disability & Social Rights” 
Speaker: Michael Ashley Stein (Harvard Law)

September 17, 2020 
“The UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants, National Policies, and Forestland Rights of India’s Adivasis” 
Speaker: Prakash Kashwan (Political Science, University of Connecticut)

April 23, 2020 
"Development, Human Rights, and the Universal Periodic Review in South Asia" 
Speaker: Joel Oestreich (Drexel University)

February 18, 2020 
"Wheels of Change: Transforming Girl’s Lives with Bicycles" 
Speaker: Nishith Prakash (UConn Department of Economics; Human Rights Institute)

January 28, 2020 
“The Art of Negotiation: The State, Society, and Development of Land Property Rights in Distorted Markets” 
Co-sponsored by Political Economy Workshop. 
Speaker: Meina Cai (UConn Department of Political Science)

October 12, 2019 
"Environmental & Climate Justice: The Existential Challenge of Economic Rights" 

October 11, 2019 
“Climate and Environmental Justice: The Challenges, The Solutions” 
Speaker: Catherine Flowers (Founder, Alabama Center for Rural Enterprise Community Development Corporation; Senior Fellow, Center for Earth Ethics, New York)

April 25, 2017 
“Health Consequences of Schooling for Disadvantaged Women in Zimbabwe” 
Speaker: Jorge Aguero (Department of Economics, University of Connecticut)

March 21, 2017 
“Rights and Queues: On Distributive Contests in the Modern State” 
Speaker: Katie Young (Boston College Law School)

February 8, 2017 
“Daughters & Dowry: Marriage Payments & Consumption Spending” 
Speakers: Nishith Prakash (Department of Economics and Human Rights, University of Connecticut), Sungoh Kwon (Department of Economics, University of Connecticut), and S. Anukriti (Boston College)

December 5, 2016 
“Big Data, Big Business, Big Problems: An International Human Rights Perspective on Legal and Ethical Standards” 
Speaker: David Nersessian (Babson College)

November 4, 2016 
"Designing and Drafting Legislation to Secure Economic & Social Rights: The Humphrey-Hawkins 21st Century Full Employment & Training Act (HR 1000)" 
Speaker: Phil Harvey (Rutgers Law)

October 21, 2016 
"You Can't Sit With Us: International Law, Human Rights, and Homelessness" 
Speaker: Alyssa Webb (Doctoral candidate, Political Science, University of Connecticut)

September 29, 2016 
“Social Rights and Participatory Health Policymaking: The Negotiating of Citizenship” by American Indian Tribal Nations in the U.S. 
Speaker: Lauren MacLean (Indiana University)

April 8-9, 2016 
2016 Annual Economic and Social Rights Lecture Keynote  
Speaker: Professor James Anaya

March 7, 2016 
“Economic and Social Rights Fulfillment in the United States: A Spatial Perspective” 
Speaker: Patrick Heidkamp (Southern Connecticut State University)

February 4, 2016 
"Extra-Territorial Obligations" (ETOs) for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights: An update on the international forum and state of debate" 
Speaker: Ute Reisinger (Fulbright Scholar, Austria; Candidate for MA in International Affairs, UConn)

January 28, 2016 
"A Blueprint for Ending Poverty…. Permanently” 
Speaker: David Grusky (Director, Center on Poverty and Inequality, Stanford University)

December 10, 2015 
“Poor Democracies in a Conundrum: International Trade and Government Revenues in Developing Countries”  
Speaker: Nita Rudra (Government, Georgetown University)

November 18, 2015 
Fulfilling Economic & Social Rights 
Discussion led by Susan Randolph on her new book (co-authored with Sakiko Fukuda-Parr and Terra Lawson-Remer) Fulfilling Economic & Social Rights (Oxford University Press 2015).

October 23, 2015 
Challenges to Freedom of Expression in a Digital Age 
Keynote for a Conference on “Human Rights and New Technologies Conference”
Speaker: David Kaye (UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression)

September 28, 2015 
“Policy Reforms and Challenges Related to Human Trafficking in Bihar: Role of Police” 
Co-sponsored by India Studies and the Unfree Labor in the Americas Study Group. 
Speaker: Rajyabardhan Sharma (former Indian Police Service)

September 9, 2015 
“Institutional Investment for Human Rights Impact”  
Co-sponsored by the President’s Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility. 
Keynote address for “The University as Corporate Citizen: How to Promote Human Rights and Sustainability in Collegiate Licensing, Procurement, and Investment” Conference.

April 17-18, 2015 
"Global Justice & Extra-Territorial Obligations" 

April 3, 2015 
"Prospects and Challenges of Ensuring the Right to Food in Ethiopia" 
Speaker: Semahagn Gashu Abebe (Human Rights Institute, University of Connecticut)

March 11, 2015 
"Human Rights Requirements for Achieving Universal Health Coverage" 
Speaker: Audrey Chapman (UConn Health Center)

February 27, 2015 
Discussion of Capital in the 21st Century, by Thomas Piketty 
Speaker: Jane Gordon (Political Science, University of Connecticut)

February 23, 2015 
"From Apple to Nike: Making Globalization Work for All" 
Speaker: Richard Locke (Professor, Brown University)

February 20, 2015 
“Human Rights Monitoring: Progressive Realization versus the Violations Approach" 
Speaker: Sakiko Fukuda-Parr (The New School)

January 21, 2015 
"State Capacity and Human Rights: Examining the tools of repression." 
Speaker: Benjamin Carbonetti (Political Science, University of Connecticut)

December 2, 2014 
“Human Rights & Economic Justice: Re-Reading the Quran & the International Bill of Rights" 
Speaker: Zehra Arat (Political Science, University of Connecticut)

November 3, 2014 
"Local Funds and Political Competition: Evidence from the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in India" 
Speaker: Abhiroop Mukhopadhyay (Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi)

October 7, 2014 
"Do Criminal Representatives Hinder or Improve Constituency Outcomes? Evidence from India" 
Speaker: Nishith Prakash (Economics and Human Rights, University of Connecticut)

September 11, 2014 
"The Right to Read" 
Speaker: Lea Shaver (Law, Indiana University)

April 30, 2013 
“Food Security In Central Asia: Realities And Challenges” 
Speaker: Fakhmiddin Fazilov (Trinity College)

April 5, 2013 
“Forging Economic And Social Rights: Why Institutions Matter” 
Speaker: Philip G. Alston (NYU Law School)

April 4-5, 2013 
“Health And Human Rights: Social Mobilization, Law & Policy” 

March 5, 2013 
“Health And Human Rights After Genocide: A Cambodian Example” 
Speaker: Megan Berthold (School of Social Work, University of Connecticut)

February 25, 2013 
“Rights Based Fisheries Governance: From Fishing Rights To Human Rights” 
Speaker: Robert Pomeroy (Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Connecticut)

February 5, 2013 
“Radical Reforms: What Do They Miss?” 
Speaker: Prakash Kashwan (Department of Political Science, University of Connecticut)

December 4, 2012 
“Hungry For Justice: Social Mobilization On The Right To Food In India” 
Speaker: Shareen Hertel (Political Science and Human Rights, University of Connecticut)

November 13, 2012 
“Health And Human Rights After Genocide: A Cambodian Example” 
Speaker: Megan Berthold (School of Social Work, University of Connecticut)

October 16, 2012 
“Petro-Justice, Alien Claims, And The Limits Of Human Rights Discourse” 
Speaker: Heather Turcotte (Political Science and Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, University of Connecticut)

September 11, 2012 
“The Right To Development Revisited” 
Speaker: Shareen Hertel (Political Science and Human Rights, University of Connecticut)

April 14, 2012 
“Corporate Social Responsibility And Human Rights” 

April 13, 2012 
Keynote Lecture For ESRG Workshop 

March 30, 2012 
“The Commitment To Public Services In India” 
Speaker: Vivek Srinivasan (Manager, Program on Liberation Technology, Stanford University)

February 29, 2012 
“Environmental Rights And The Atmospheric Trust Litigation” 
Speaker: Kelly Matheson (Program Manager for the Americas, WITNESS)

February 3, 2012 
“Worker Rights In Law & Practice: New Data & Applications” 
Speakers: Chad Clay (International Affairs, University of Georgia) and Colin Barry (Political Science, Binghamton University)

December 7, 2011 
“Roundtable on Gendered Dimensions of Economic and Social Rights” 
Speakers: Zehra Kabasakal Arat (Visiting Gladstein Professor, Juanita) and Joseph Leff (Distinguished Professor, Political Science and Women’s Studies, SUNY Purchase)

November 18, 2011 
“Who Pays for Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights?” 
Speaker: Michael Goodhart (Political Science, University of Pittsburgh)

October 14, 2011 
“The Politics of Transition to Rights-Based Approaches to Conservation in India” 
Speaker: Prakash Kashwan (Political Science, University of Connecticut)

September 30, 2011 
“Roundtable on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)” 
Speaker: David Richards (Political Science/Human Rights, University of Connecticut)