Summer University: Education and Human Rights – 4th Edition
About the Summer University
The Summer University on the Right to Education is an international programme designed to equip participants to advance education as a universal human right. They engage with leading experts, analyse global education challenges and observe policy processes first-hand through lectures, workshops and institutional visits. The programme is suited to students and professionals seeking practical tools and a comprehensive global perspective on the right to education.
Explore Our Two Programmes
The Senior Edition is designed for academics and professionals with a background in education or education policy. Participants engage in in-depth seminars, workshops, and institutional visits to explore the complex challenges and opportunities in advancing freedom of education through international human rights mechanisms. The program combines rigorous academic insight with practical approaches, enabling participants to refine their expertise, broaden their international perspective, and enhance their network of practitioners and scholars committed to freedom of education.
The Junior Edition offers university students and early-career learners a comprehensive introduction to the Right to Education. Through lectures, workshops, and institutional visits, participants engage with leading experts, examine global education challenges, and gain hands-on experience in advocacy for universal human rights. This edition provides a meaningful opportunity to develop knowledge, skills, and a global perspective while contributing to the advancement of educational pluralism.
General Information and Registration
15-19 June 2026
CHF 760
does not include any travel expenses (transport, accommodation, food, etc.)
Geneva, Switzerland
- International Human Rights Debates and Advocacy Pathways for Sustainable Education.
- Children, Parents, Civil Society: Contradicting. Approaches to the Right to Education.
- Educational Pluralism and Cultural Discussions
English.
Faculty
Mr. Ignasi Grau is director of OIDEL and human rights expert on freedom of education and educational pluralism. Grau has authored a number of publications, including the ‘Freedom of Education Index’, ‘Educational Pluralism in the European Union: Report of 10 Educational Systems’ and ‘Towards Understanding the Global Landscape of Educational Pluralism’.
He holds a master’s degree in Policy Development from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and a double degree in Law and Business Administration from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.
Mrs. Ashley Berner is Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy and Associate Professor of Education. She has previously served as the Deputy Director of the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Institute for Education Policy and taught in a Jewish pre-school, an Episcopal secondary school, and an open university in Louisiana.
Harvard Education Press released her newest book, Educational Pluralism and American Democracy: How to Handle Indoctrination, Promote Exposure, and Rebuild America’s Schools, in April 2024.
Mr. Abdeljalil Akkari is a professor of International Dimensions of Education at the University o Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, he taught at the University of Fribourg (Switzerland) and the University of Maryland (USA). His research focuses on intercultural education, the analysis of educational inequalities, teacher training and the internationalization of education policy.
He is a member of the Swiss Commission for UNESCO and regularly conducts missions for international organizations.
Mr. Gerard Robinson is Professor of Practice in Public Policy and Law at the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia, with a joint appointment at the UVA School of Law. His expertise encompasses K-12 and higher education, criminal justice reform, race in public institutions, and the role of nonprofit organizations in civil society.
Robinson has authored several publications, including Education for Liberation: The Politics of Promise and Reform Inside and Beyond America’s Prisons.
Ms. Kimberly Jenkins Robinson serves as a Professor of Law, Education, and Public Policy at the University of Virginia She earned her J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she was Articles Editor of the Harvard Law Review. Her work focuses on educational equity, civil rights, and the restructuring of educational policies to ensure access to high-quality education.
Robinson is a prolific scholar who has published two edited books and a diverse array of articles, book chapters and editorials. In 2019, the New York University Press published her edited volume A Federal Right to Education: Fundamental Questions for Our Democracy.
Mr. Jean Marc Brissau is a Teaching Professor and Staff Attorney at the Notre Dame Law School Global Human Rights Clinic, serving as the graduate programs manager since April 2020.
Previously, he was the Haiti Program country director, leading efforts against lymphatic filariasis, and founded a school in Léogâne for underprivileged children. Brissau received multiple humanitarian awards, including a Notre Dame Presidential Award in 2010 for his post-earthquake efforts in Haiti.
Ms. Diane Desierto is Professor of Law and Global Affairs at Notre Dame Law School, where she serves as Faculty Director of the LL.M. in International Human Rights Law and Global Director of the Global Human Rights Clinic. She specializes in international law, human rights, and economic law.
Desierto has worked with the UN Working Group on the Right to Development and ASEAN, litigating cases at the Permanent Court of Arbitration and the UN Human Rights Committee.
CEO of EAiD (Ethical Artificial Intelligence for Human Development SL), Amparo Alonso specializes in social leadership and policy advocacy. She bridges ethical technology with sustainable human development, focusing on education and health. She has collaborated with the UNESCO Chair (University of La Rioja) on AI and education workshops, emphasizing “teaching for AI.”
Ms. Alonso holds degrees in Economics and Business Studies and has completed doctoral coursework in Social Economy. Previously, she served as Co-Executive Director of Caritas Internationalis and Director of CI to the UN in Geneva.
Mr. Svein Oestveit has devoted his career to education, starting as a secondary school teacher in Norway. He spent 30 years at UNESCO, focusing on policy, skills training, teacher training, distance education, and literacy. He served as Director of the Education Executive Office, has been Chair of the UNESCO-IBE Council since 2021, and was appointed Director a.i. of the UNESCO International Bureau of Education in October 2023.
He believes education is essential for sustainable development and economic growth, advocating for quality education systems that unlock human potential.
Ms. Leslie Hiner is Vice President of Legal Policy at EdChoice and Director of the Legal Policy & Education Center (LPEC), where she leads efforts to defend and expand educational choice in the United States of America. An experienced attorney and advocate, she has helped shape key school choice laws, including Indiana’s charter and voucher programs.
Before joining EdChoice, Hiner held senior roles in the Indiana government and helped found one of the state’s first charter schools. She also serves on national education policy councils.
Mr. Mikel Mancisidor is a former Independent Expert of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2013–2024). A jurist and Doctor of International Relations and Diplomacy (Geneva School of Diplomacy), he serves on the Governing Board of the University of Deusto, where he teaches International Law.
He has contributed significantly to the development of international standards on cultural rights and education, and has been recognised with honours such as the Golden Medal for Human Rights from the Spanish Human Rights League.
Ms. Elisa Gazzotti is the co-chair of the NGO Working Group on Human Rights Education and Learning and serves as Program Coordinator for Human Rights Education at the SGI Office for UN Affairs. She holds an Executive Master in International Humanitarian Law from the Geneva Academy, as well as a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from the University of Pavia. Previously, she worked with the UN FAO and UNDP on food security and gender equality projects in the MENA region.
She has also served as co-chair of the Human Rights Engagement Task Team of the Global Protection Cluster.
Testimonials
"The Summer University was a transformative experience. I gained invaluable insights into human rights and connected with experts such as the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education. Because of it, I gained a deeper passion for human rights activism".
"I learnt a lot about freedom of education from a human rights perspective and about my possibilities to influence international discussions about it. Meeting with the international participants and speakers was also very valuable".
Location
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