Over 130 local and international participants — including 30 Global Campus selected students and alumni — gathered in Bangkok for a week-long programme of dialogue, research, and advocacy focused on the intersection of climate, business, and human rights. Hosted by the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies (IHRP) at Mahidol University, the 2025 Global Classroom combined academic exchange, field learning, and public engagement to explore how global cooperation could strengthen accountability and protect rights in an era of environmental crisis.
Human rights violations today increasingly transcend borders, linking economic, political, social, and environmental issues. The Global Classroom aimed to bridge these divides by building networks of practitioners and researchers capable of responding to these multi-dimensional challenges. Drawing on the strength of the eight Global Campus regional Master’s programmes, participants explored collaborative approaches to address systemic inequalities and promote sustainable, rights-based solutions.
Students and alumni worked in five interdisciplinary groups, focusing on key themes: exploitation in global supply chains, the impact of extractive industries, human rights in the food sector, technology and artificial intelligence, and the human rights abuses related to the defence industry and the funding of conflict. Their research examined weak enforcement of business accountability, delayed recognition of the right to a clean environment, and power imbalances between corporations and grassroots actors.
Leading up to the event, participants joined online sessions with faculty and international experts from Amnesty International Thailand, the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, and Cuttlefish Digital. These workshops offered both theoretical frameworks and advocacy tools that shaped the students’ projects and campaigns.
During the first two days in Bangkok, participants had the opportunity to learn from local and regional experts who shared research, policy, and advocacy insights on the same topics they had been exploring, with a particular focus on South East Asia perspectives and practices. This exchange deepened their understanding of how global issues play out across diverse local contexts. Students and alumni teams also presented their cross-regional research work, sharing comparative findings and recommendations on business accountability and environmental protection.
Midweek, participants travelled to Samut Sakhon Province to witness the human dimensions of environmental and business-related rights violations. The province faces severe coastal erosion and flooding, driven by climate change and human activity. Students and alumni also visited migrant labour rights organisations, including one combating human trafficking in the fisheries sector, and met with NGOs supporting education access for migrant children.
On the final day, participants presented their advocacy projects at International Civil Society Week 2025 (ICSW), co-hosted by CIVICUS and the Asia Democracy Network (ADN). Their proposals and campaigns included a UN Protocol on AI and the Environment, a Legally Binding Instrument on AI, Defence, and Human Rights, a community-led monitoring framework for critical minerals, a human rights footprint app for fast food products, and the #WhatSheWears campaign supporting women garment workers.
The Global Classroom 2025 demonstrated the power of education, collaboration, and cross-regional dialogue to address pressing global challenges. By uniting students, alumni, academics, and civil society, the Global Campus continues to foster shared learning and collective advocacy for human rights worldwide.
“Listening to and engaging with the discussions on the intersection of business, environment, and human rights was deeply insightful,” said a participant from GC Africa. “The sessions and field visit to Samut Sakhon Province were both thought-provoking and inspiring. The advocacy work and engagement with local communities gave the event real impact. It was a privilege to participate, and I look forward to future opportunities to collaborate and engage through the Global Campus network”.
