Working in partnership with UNDP Pakistan and financed by the European Union, the Global Campus of Human Rights has recently inaugurated an international mobility scheme for Pakistani students interested in pursuing human rights education. The initiative is a core component of the Huqooq-e-Pakistan II programme and is offered to students from the Lahore University of Management Science – LUMS, Habib University, the University of Peshawar, and the University of Balochistan. During the first iteration of the mobility programme, four selected students attended the 33rd Annual Human Rights and People’s Diplomacy Training Program (DTP) co-organised in Timor-Leste by the Global Campus and the DTP, affiliated with the New South Wales University (Australia). Organized in Dili from 25 August to 5 September 2025, the training represented a unique opportunity to focus on international human rights standards, UN mechanisms, and hands-on advocacy alongside peers from across the South and Southeast Asia regions. During the intensive two-week program, participants engaged with peers and experts, combining classroom learning with practical exercises and field visits. Role-plays on UN procedures helped demystify how treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review work in practice—turning complex systems into usable pathways for local advocacy. For Aimun a fifth-year law student from LUMS, researching land rights and extractivism, Timor-Leste’s own history resonated strongly. Exposure to cases from other countries and regions broadened her comparative lens, while UN role-plays clarified practical routes for bringing under-represented Pakistani land issues to international attention. “I plan to adapt the techniques and strategies that my colleagues engaged in activism are using in pursuing their goals and see how they can be applied to my own context.” Ahmed, who leads study circles on civil and political rights in Balochistan, reported a profoundly enriching shift from theory to practice. He highlighted clearer understanding of treaty bodies, the UPR, and transitional justice, and plans to channel this learning into his work within the students’ circles he leads. “The training has fundamentally transformed my understanding of how human rights are defended through concrete community-based actions.” Aamna (Habib University), active in youth-led research on AI and health, gendered mobility, climate, and inequality, said the program reinforced a pragmatic lesson: when a perfect mechanism doesn’t exist, work within existing ones to create space. She aims to link youth research to policy and expand community-level trainings on rights and advocacy. “It’s been inspiring and eye-opening to exchange experiences with peers across so many countries. I want to build on learned examples of youth-led work and link it with policy discussions in my community.” In the upcoming months, other cohorts of Pakistani students will have the opportunity to undertake human rights studies and training through the GC mobility scheme, co-organised with Mahidol University (Bangkok) and Kathmandu School of Law (Nepal). Stay tuned for more on project activities, forthcoming initiatives, and first-hand accounts from our students! This activity is part of the GC Capacity Development programme. For more information, contact Adriano Remiddi – programme manager, Vukašin Pajović, and Larisa Barbu – programme officers at capacity.development@gchumanrights.org
