Free Online Certificate Course
International Human Rights Law and Kashmir:
Prospects and Challenges, 2022
07 May 2022 to 02 July 2022
Update:
Applications for this course are now closed. Applicants have now been notified about the outcome of their applications.
tuesday, 3 may 2022
Overview
With the aim of introducing and inculcating a human-rights-based discourse in narratives about Kashmir, the Oxford Kashmir Forum launched a free online certificate course in 2021. The eight-week-long course saw lectures delivered by a distinguished panel of experts, including the late Prof Christof Heyns, Dr David Kaye (University of California), Prof Nazila Ghanea (University of Oxford), Dr Stuart Casey-Maslen (University of Pretoria), Dr Priya Pillai (Lawyer & International Law Specialist), Ms Katharina Lewis & Mr Samarth Patel (Office of Amal Clooney), Ms Aua Baldé (Member, UN Working Group on Enforced Disappearances), and Dr Natasa Mavronicola (University of Birmingham).
Encouraged by the success of the inaugural edition, we are bringing back our online course on “International Human Rights Law and Kashmir: Prospects and Challenges” from 7 May – 2 July 2022.
Once again, this free course is designed to include lectures, seminars and exercises that offer insights into international human rights law (IHRL) and its enforcement/ application in Kashmir. By combining theory and practice, it examines various rights that have taken centre stage in the human-rights discourse on Kashmir, such as the right to life, right to peaceful assembly, right against torture, etc.
Taking suggestions and feedback from past participants on board, we have introduced some changes to make the course bigger and better:
1) Primer on Public International Law: The course will begin with a primer on IHRL to introduce participants to the sources of IHRL, international dispute settlement, UN human rights mechanisms, etc.
2) New Themes: The course will feature lectures and seminars on two new themes – the right to self-determination and the right against discrimination.
3) Guest Lectures: The course will also feature open-for-all guest lectures by various human rights experts, including UN Special Rapporteurs.
4) Reading Lists: We plan to share more comprehensive and thorough theme-wise reading lists with participants.
5) Assessments and Awards: This year, participants will be expected to take weekly online quizzes on the themes covered during the course. At the end of the course, three top performers on the quizzes will receive awards!
6) Drop-in Sessions: We plan to organise bi-weekly drop-in sessions for participants to seek clarifications on the course content and share any concerns with the course organisers.
7) Community Building: We plan to provide new avenues for participants to network with each other and with past participants and course moderators to build a community for social engagement and research.
Structure
Each week is divided into three components:
1) Core Lecture
This will introduce the central theme of the week and provide an advanced conceptual understanding of the right. Primarily theory-oriented, the Core Lecture will examine a right under international law, its theoretical underpinnings, its core principles and limitations, and international monitoring and accountability mechanisms available for it. The core lecture will be led by an expert academic on the subject-matter.
2) Seminar
Primarily practice-oriented, seminars will situate the right in the context of Kashmir and examine its application and enforcement. The seminar will be led by lawyers and/ or academics from Kashmir or working on Kashmir.
3) Assessments
At the end of each week, participants will take an online quiz on the themes covered during the week to test their knowledge and seek clarifications. These open-book quizzes will require participants to closely engage with the prescribed readings.
Course Outline
Week 0:
Introduction to International Human Rights Law
Core Lecture
Saturday, 07 May 2022
9:00am – 10:30am BST / 1:30pm – 3:00pm IST
Aman CB
Associate Professor of Legal Practice,
Jindal Global Law School, India
Discussion
Sunday, 8 May 2022
1:30pm – 2:30pm BST / 6:00pm – 7:00pm ISTWeek 1:
Right to Self-Determination
Core Lecture
Tuesday, 10 May 2022
1:30pm – 3:00pm BST / 6:00pm – 7:30pm IST
Prof Milena Sterio
Charles R. Emrick Jr.-Calfee Halter & Griswold Professor of Law,
Cleveland State University, &
Managing Director, Public International Law & Policy Group
Seminar
Saturday, 14 May 2022
1:30pm – 3:30pm BST / 6:00pm – 8:00pm ISTWeek 2:
Right to Freedom of Religion and Belief, and Right against Discrimination
Core Lecture
Tuesday, 17 May 2022
1:30pm – 3:00pm BST / 6:00pm – 7:30pm IST
Dr Michael Wiener
Visiting Fellow, Kellog College, University of Oxford,
Senior Fellow in Residence, Graduate Institute of International & Development Studies, Geneva
Seminar
Saturday, 21 May 2022
1:30pm – 3:30pm BST / 6:00pm – 8:00pm ISTDrop-in Session I
Sunday, 22 May 2022
10:30am – 12:30pm BST / 3:00pm – 5:00pm ISTWeek 3:
Right to Life
Core Lecture
Tuesday, 24 May 2022
1:30pm – 3:00pm BST / 6:00pm – 7:30pm IST
Prof Yuval Shany
Hersch Lauterpacht Chair in Public International Law, Hebrew University, &
Former Chair, UN Human Rights Committee
Seminar
Saturday, 28 May 2022
1:30pm – 3:30pm BST / 6:00pm – 8:00pm ISTWeek 4:
Right to Liberty and Security of Person (Protection Against Arbitrary Detention)
Core Lecture
Tuesday, 31 May 2022
1:30pm – 3:00pm BST / 6:00pm – 7:30pm IST
Priya Gopalan
Member, UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention
Seminar
Saturday, 4 June 2022
1:30pm – 3:30pm BST / 6:00pm – 8:00pm ISTDrop-in Session II
Sunday, 5 June 2022
10:30am – 12:30pm BST / 3:00pm – 5:00pm ISTWeek 5:
Right to a Fair Trial
Core Lecture
Tuesday, 7 June 2022
1:30pm – 3:00pm BST / 6:00pm – 7:30pm IST
Prof Philippa Webb
Professor of Public International Law, King’s College London, &
Barrister at Twenty Essex Chambers, London
Seminar
Saturday, 11 June 2022
1:30pm – 3:30pm BST / 6:00pm – 8:00pm ISTWeek 6:
Right to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly
Core Lecture
Tuesday, 14 June 2022
1:30pm – 3:00pm BST / 6:00pm – 7:30pm IST
Dr Thomas Probert
Head of Research, Freedom from Violence, University of Pretoria, &
Former Special Advisor, UN Special Rapporteur on Summary Executions
Seminar
Saturday, 18 June 2022
1:30pm – 3:30pm BST / 6:00pm – 8:00pm ISTDrop-in Session III
Sunday, 19 June 2022
10:30am – 12:30pm BST / 3:00pm – 5:00pm ISTWeek 7:
Right against Torture or Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment
Core Lecture
Tuesday, 21 June 2022
1:30pm – 3:00pm BST / 6:00pm – 7:30pm IST
Prof Rachel Murray,
Professor of International Human Rights,
University of Bristol
Seminar
Saturday, 25 June 2022
1:30pm – 3:30pm BST / 6:00pm – 8:00pm ISTWeek 8:
Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression
Core Lecture
Wednesday, 29 June 2022
1:30pm – 3:00pm BST / 6:00pm – 7:30pm IST
Dr Sejal Parmar,
Senior Lecturer,
School of Law and Politic, Cardiff University, &
ESRC Policy Fellow in Disinformation and Human Rights,
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Seminar
Saturday, 2 July 2022
1:30pm – 3:30pm BST / 6:00pm – 8:00pm ISTDrop-in Session IV
Sunday, 3 July 2022
10:30am – 12:30pm BST / 3:00pm – 5:00pm IST
Timing & Platform
The timing for each Core Lecture and Seminar is mentioned above. Participants will be notified via email of any change in the schedule.
This Course will be conducted over Zoom. The Zoom link will be emailed to participants ahead of each Core Lecture and Seminar.
Eligibility
This course is primarily open to law students and graduates; students of other disciplines with a demonstrated experience, understanding or interest in law, particularly human rights law. However, lawyers, social workers and, other humanitarian practitioners who wish to become acquainted with international human rights legal framework and its application in Kashmir are also eligible to apply.
Assessments, Certificates and Awards
Participants will be evaluated on the basis of their performance in weekly online quizzes. Participants will also have the opportunity to write essays and submit them for feedback from our resident scholars.
Those admitted to the course will be expected to attend every core lecture and seminar to receive a certificate of completion. At the end of the course, three top performers on the online quizzes will receive awards!
Application
Note: Applications for this course are now closed. Applicants have now been notified about the outcome of their applications.
To apply, please fill this Application Form. Please note that you will need to upload your CV and a Statement of Interest with the Application Form.
This course requires participants to have a demonstrated understanding of law (and/or human rights). Therefore, you should highlight relevant experiences (formal, voluntary or otherwise) in your Statement of Interest. It is particularly important for non-law applicants to show that they will be able to engage with the content of the course which, for most part, will be legal/technical in nature.
Applications close on Tuesday, 19 April 2022. You will be notified by Tuesday, 26 April 2022 if your application is successful.
Disclaimer
This is not an official course of the University of Oxford. Oxford Kashmir Forum is an informal network of scholars and students based out of Oxford and is neither affiliated nor registered with the University of Oxford.
Lecture Recordings
We intend to record the Core Lectures, subject to the consent of speakers. These will be uploaded on our YouTube channel available here. Make sure to subscribe now!
Questions
For any queries, please email us at oxfordkashmirforum@gmail.com.
Oxford Kashmir Forum 