The Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute (HRI) at the University of Connecticut advances human rights knowledge and practice through research, teaching, and engagement. As a university-wide program under the Office of Global Affairs, HRI supports interdisciplinary inquiry into the most pressing human rights questions and prepares the next generation of human rights advocates across a range of fields.
Research
Our faculty pursue novel and critical approaches to human rights scholarship in the arts, humanities, and social sciences, as well as in the fields of law, engineering, heath, business, education, and social work. The Institute supports interdisciplinary collaboration across these fields, with a specific focus on thematic research clusters in global health and human rights, economic and social rights, critical humanitarianism, and human rights practice.
Teaching
We house one of the largest undergraduate and graduate programs in human rights in the country, including a major and a minor in human rights, graduate certificate, and a master of arts in human rights. Students receive a broad, interdisciplinary grounding in human rights history, theory, and practice, specialize in a range of particular issues and fields, and engage in experiential learning opportunities with leading human rights practitioners around the world.
Outreach & Engagement
Through Dodd Human Rights Impact Programs, the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute fosters a culture of human rights through engagement and community impact in Connecticut and around the world. We honor and extend the human rights legacies of Senators Thomas J. Dodd and Christopher J. Dodd by supporting outreach programs to advance understanding of and respect for human rights, including initiatives in human rights education, business and human rights, democracy and dialogues, and human rights film and digital media.