The University of Sydney is now offering Australia’s premier regional degree in Human Rights and Democratisation. Uniquely, our degree offers the opportunity to study both at the internationally renowned University of Sydney, and at one of four regional universities with expertise in human rights and democratisation. This degree forms the Asia-Pacific dimension of a consortium of global degrees established under the auspices of the European Union initiative on global human rights and democratisation, representing the most advanced human rights educational programs globally.

The Asia Pacific is home to more than half of the world’s population and offers unparalleled cultural richness. However, it also faces a number of severe human rights challenges, including systematic discrimination, forced displacement, exploitation of children, people-trafficking and corruption. This degree has been specifically developed to build the knowledge and expertise in the region, providing the ‘human capacity’ to address these critical issues.

The Master of Human Rights and Democratisation (Asia Pacific Regional Program) is an interdisciplinary intensive degree that reflects the inseparable links between human rights, democracy and development. Designed for mid-career professionals and highly motivated undergraduates, our degree offers you a unique opportunity to engage first-hand with regional and international human rights issues, and to interact with internationally renowned academics, practitioners and experts.

Our degree consists of a foundational semester and a one-week inter-sessional intensive (from July to November), both at the University of Sydney. The second semester (from January to May) is undertaken at one of four regional partner institutions: Mahidol University (Thailand), Gadjah Mada University (Indonesia), Kathmandu School of Law (Nepal) and the University of Colombo (Sri Lanka). During the second semester, core units are complemented by supervised research or an internship at an in-country organisation that specialises in human rights or democratisation.

Upon completion of the degree, students will have gained both academic and practical skills. They will also have acquired both the ability to undertake independent scholarly research on current human rights and democratisation issues, and the skills to put an academic understanding to use in real situations. Additionally, the degree will be a gateway to a vibrant international community, connecting alumni to an invaluable personal and professional network.

The Master of Human Rights and Democratisation (Asia Pacific Regional Program) offers 30 full scholarships that will be limited to applicants from the Asia Pacific region, living in developing countries. For further details, visit the website sydney.edu.au/arts/human_rights_democratisation.

Upon completion of the degree, graduates are expected to gain both academic and practical skills. Graduates will have both the ability to undertake independent scholarly research on current issues pertaining to human rights and democratisation in the Asia Pacific and skills to put their academic understanding and practical experience to use in real situations. The degree will also be a gateway to a vibrant international community, connecting graduates to an invaluable personal and professional network.