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Postgraduate Studies in Human Rights |
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| Postgraduate
Studies in Human Rights, Peace and Development
Using An Interdisciplinary Approach. |
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| "Human
rights are fundamental and are the birthright
of all humans. These rights, however, must
be gained through struggle. Regardless of
the universality of international declarations
and covenants…. the full observance
of human rights is not yet guaranteed to
all human beings. The ultimate aim of these
declarations cannot be achieved until people
become aware of their rights as humans." |
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| From the Mission Statement,
Office of Human Rights and Social Development,
Faculty of Graduate Studies, Mahidol University |
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| There
is a misperception that human rights issues
are mainly about laws, because most human
rights studies programs throughout the
world are offered under law schools, and
taught by lawyers. But if we look carefully
at human rights, we realize that human
rights cover more than legal rights as
human rights are rooted in the concrete
political, economic, social and cultural
reality of a given society. Therefore,
human rights are not only about legal
technicalities, but they concern the totality
of the dignity of human beings, which
must be perceived from different perspectives.
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We cannot study
the dignity of human beings from the viewpoint
of a single discipline. This has compelled
the Office of Human Rights Studies to research
and study human |
| rights, peace, and development
from all perspectives, requiring study using
many disciplines. Our Master’s and
Doctoral Degree programs are one of the
few such interdisciplinary programs in the
world. The interdisciplinary nature of human
rights studies programs at Mahidol University
is reflected in the program design where
students must cover political, legal, philosophical,
economic, social and cultural aspects of
human rights. Human rights are seen from
social, medical and natural sciences viewpoints. |
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Study
and research in our program occurs in a
highly internationalized context. The course
content is international, for students are
expected to emerge with a view of human
rights and peace from a variety of different
cultures and beliefs. Further, students
are recruited from many countries of the
world (and nationals from more than 25 countries
have graduated from our programs). Lecturers
also come from all continents, again, with
different disciplines and experiences. We
use a team teaching approach and have invited
guest speakers since such as Prof. Walden
Bello (Economics), Dr. Ariel Heryanto (Sociology),
Prof. Vitit Muntarbhorn (Law), Assoc.Prof.
Peter Rosenblum (Law), Prof. Michelo Hansugule
(Law), Prof. Morton Winston (Philosophy),
Prof. Raj Kumar (Physics), and Ravi Nair
(Literature).
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| What
is very important to us is that the students,
lecturers, and research in the programs
will put their knowledge into action. Many
graduate students from the programs are
activists for human rights and peace, for
it is only through action that human rights
are realized, and that peace is ensured. |
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| The
interdisciplinary and international nature
of the program offers a value-added not
only to lecturers and students, but also
to society at large. It enriches the learning
and helps to create a wealth of knowledge
which is not limited by field of expertise
and specialization. It opens minds, which
are usually fixed only on one’s own
interest. It puts people into action in
the struggle, advocacy, and understanding
of human rights and peace. |
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| The
Office of Human Rights and Social Development
also arranges regular training courses,
such as the Asian Thematic Workshop and
the South East Asian Advanced Program on
Human Rights, for government officials,
academics, representatives of national human
rights institutions and NGOs, especially
those from the countries within Asia. The
Office has also recently released the very
first “Human Rights in Asia”
monograph series comprising of 6 volumes,
resulting mainly from the field research
of students and colleagues. |
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| For further information, contact:
grspe@mahidol.ac.th
or grsbc@mahidol.ac.th |
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