Human Rights Research and Data Hub

The Human Rights Research and Data Hub (HuRRD) seeks to advance human rights research at UConn by supporting faculty and student projects and providing students the opportunity to develop research and data analysis skills that will advance their careers after graduation. Our work includes:

Providing start-up funding for new research projects on a competitive basis to enhance the capacity of faculty to secure external grants
Supporting long-standing signature projects, including the award-winning Socioeconomic Rights Fulfillment (SERF) Index and other data collection projects designed to fill critical gaps in the observation and measurement of human rights phenomena
Convening workshops and seminars to facilitate discussion and feedback on ongoing projects
Engaging in a variety of forms of outreach to amplify awareness of Hub-affiliated projects and communicate the lessons drawn from the research to the policymakers and the public

Past Events (Fall 2023)

‘We, the Data: Human Rights in the Digital Age’ Discussion with Author Wendy Wong

October 3, 2023 | 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm | Hybrid Event

Co-hosted by the Economic & Social Rights Program, Business & Human Rights Initiative, Engineering for Human Rights Initiative, Human Rights Research & Data Hub, and the UConn School of Law

Presenter: Prof. Wendy Wong, The University of British Columbia

Political scientist Wendy Wong rallies for extending human rights beyond our physical selves and rebooting rights in our data-intensive world. Register here

Ethical Dilemmas: Corporate Response and Market Reaction to the Russia-Ukraine War

September 19, 2023 | 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm | Hybrid Event

Co-hosted by the Business & Human Rights Initiative, Economic & Social Rights Program, and Human Rights Research & Data Hub

Presenter: Prof. Lingling Wang, UConn School of Business

Discussant: Bennett Freeman, Principal, Bennett Freeman Associates LLC

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. Register here

HuRRD is central to HRI’s focus on bridging scholarship and practice. With faculty based in departments across the social sciences, humanities, STEM fields, business, and more, we offer an unparalleled interdisciplinary approach to human rights scholarship and aim to:

Make our research legible to the public and project data broadly accessible
Communicate key implications to inform evidence-based policy and program design
Facilitate and support research collaborations across disciplines to bring the variety of complementary perspectives and methodological approaches to bear on critical human rights issues

Students engage with HuRRD through human rights research courses and/or paid research positions. Our curated research courses are designed to train students in empirical research design, data analysis and visualization, and the analytical skills to answer important questions through interpreting evidence from a variety of data sources. By involving students centrally in the research process, the Hub contributes to developing the next generation of human rights scholars and practitioners by offering valuable training in advanced data analysis and research methods, hands-on experience, networking, and publishing opportunities – all of which enhance career prospects and potential for advancement long after graduation.