Law, human rights law and international law
The Human Rights and International Law program at Al-Quds Bard College is a unique major and the first of its type in Palestine. It seeks to allow graduates of the program to serve Palestinian institutions in their many specialties but also regional and worldwide organizations. The curriculum incorporates historical and analytical principles that give the student a strong basis for establishing meaningful practical participation in the subject of human rights. The curriculum also seeks to teach and provide students with a basis in the intellectual heritage of human rights and equip them with the essential skills to comprehend and analyze current ideas and debates.
The Human Rights Curriculum is an interdisciplinary curriculum that exposes students to the elements of scientific and critical examination of history, philosophy, politics, culture, economics, law, and international debate on human rights. Designed for a globalized society, the curriculum stresses not just the issue of human rights in the Palestinian-Israeli setting but also exposes the student to a larger variety of international rights concerns.
This degree also gives graduates the chance to work in human rights organizations with the power to affect Palestinian and global realities for the better. Some alumni of this program work at institutions like Al-Haq, Conscience, Badil, Adalah, Amnesty International, Physicians for Human Rights, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and many more institutions of local and international weight.
On the other hand, the Human Rights and International Law program provides the opportunity for recent graduates to complete their master’s degrees at prestigious universities around the world, such as the University of Oxford, the Central European University, SOAS University in London, Syracuse University in New York, the University of Siena in Italy, and other universities and centers. Long-standing research. Graduates of the program have also been granted prestigious scholarships for postgraduate study, including HESPAL, DAAD, OSF, and Chevening. About 90% of the 300 bachelor’s graduates at Al-Quds Bard College found work possibilities in their specialty and/or enrolled in graduate programs in other countries.
Academic Exchange and OSUN Network Opportunities:
Al-Quds Bard College of Arts and Sciences is one of the participating and active institutions in the OSUN network (Open Society University Network), where it offers various materials specialized in the human rights program, such as the Immigration Dictionary, Participatory Citizenship, Freedom of Expression Law, Global Citizenship, and Social Development Projects (A Lexicon) of Migration, Engaged Citizenship, Freedom of Expression, and Social Entrepreneurship.
Through its distinguished study program in these courses, the student gets the opportunity for global learning, as participation is not limited to college students only but extends to include the participation of all educational institutions participating in the network from different parts of the world. Thus, the student has the chance to work and learn about varied educational and cultural backgrounds in a respected academic setting.
The Human Rights Program presents, in addition to law and diplomacy, the history and reality of the idea of human rights as the student explores the path of development of the idea of human rights, the most important milestones in the emergence of international laws and agreements, and the extent of their impact on the world and local society.
What does the program attempt to achieve?
The program's purpose is to create an educational atmosphere that develops the student's capacity to critique, write qualitatively, and acquire a sense of independence through the learning process based on the student himself. The program also tackles the objective of teaching theoretical and practical human rights and international law in the English language in a manner that develops graduates adept in writing, researchers, and thinkers.
Job possibilities and fields:
Through their studies in the program, students are allowed to engage in student exchange programs, whether in America or Europe, which adds more to their knowledge and experiences in the domains of human rights. Not only that, but students from this program can compete strongly for many master’s and doctoral scholarships abroad and in the most prestigious universities, where a graduate of Human Rights and International Law from Al-Quds Bard College will be experienced in writing academic research and essays that constitute a large part of the requirements for graduate studies and are usually in the English language.
Al-Quds Bard College offers many opportunities for student exchange for one semester in a number of countries around the world, the most important of which is the exchange opportunity with Bard College in New York State, Bard College in Berlin, and the Bard Program for Globalization and International Affairs in New York City. It is feasible for students to earn exchange scholarships via Al-Quds University in a variety of European countries, such as France and Spain. Due to the Human Rights Program's concentration on teaching in English, the odds of students securing a student exchange opportunity are relatively high.
The Human Rights Program employs the liberal arts approach to education.
The program is not only regarded as a significant academic program but also a hub for intellectual life on the campus of Al-Quds Bard College, since it is considered a connection between a number of essential disciplines at Al-Quds Bard College, including urban studies, media studies, and political science. The courses of this program are offered to students of other majors and programs in the college, and human rights students are encouraged to take courses outside the program that are considered to have a close overlap with the major and thus expand the students’ awareness by immersing them in other related fields.
To apply for admission and study the major in human rights and international law, please visit the following page: click here.