In the framework of the partnership with the UNDP-led Huqooq-e-Pakistan II project, the Global Campus of Human Rights is supporting the creation and operationalization of an Academic Task Force participated by eight scholars from the four participating universities—LUMS in Lahore, University of Peshawar, Habib University in Karachi, and the University of Balochistan in Quetta, alongside GC and UNDP representatives. The Task Force is mandated to co-design multidisciplinary human rights education modules that will constitute the initial backbone of courses offered at the nascent Human Rights Education Centre in Lahore; to facilitate the participation of students and faculty members in a range of human rights education activities organised in-country and abroad – including those hosted by the Centre, as well as international student and faculty exchanges coordinated by the Global Campus and its network.
The launch of the Task Force, co-chaired by Jamil Ahmad Chitrali (University of Peshawar) and Adriano Remiddi (GC Headquarters) was held in early October in Lahore and hosted by UNDP at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS)During a series of in-person meetings and workshops, members adopted the terms of reference for the functioning of the new coordination unit and outlined priorities for future collaboration with the Global Campus network. On this occasion, GC Secretary-General Manfred Nowak also delivered a day-long training seminar on the international human rights framework to an audience of about thirty government officials, civil society representatives, academics, and students.
A second in-person gathering followed in late October in Bangkok, Thailand, on the occasion of the 12th Global Classroom, the Global Campus’s flagship event that brings together its global network for a week-long programme of dialogue, research, and advocacy. Pakistani scholars were invited to take part and gain first-hand insight into the work of a large and diverse network of human rights academics and practitioners. The programme offered opportunities to network, attend a seminar and roundtable on the promotion of human rights in Asia, observe student presentations, and participate in tailored workshops on human rights education methodologies delivered by experts from the Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies at Mahidol University, the seat of the GC Asia-Pacific programme.
The partnership between the Global Campus of Human Rights and the Academic Task Force is now progressing to its next major phase: the joint development of multidisciplinary human rights education modules, which are expected to be implemented over the course of 2026.
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
