15 June 2026
Bilbao
On 15 and 16 June, the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Deusto will become a forum for debate and research on fundamental rights as it hosts the 2026 Symposium, organised by the international Human Rights Policy and Practice consortium.
The main focus of this event will be the public defence of the research dissertations of students completing the Erasmus Mundus Master's in Human Rights Policy and Practice. The presentations at this international event will be organised around four thematic panels addressing some of the most pressing global challenges of our time:
- Panel 1: Freedom of expression, AI, and political polarization (Libertad de expresión, Inteligencia Artificial y polarización política).
- Panel 2: Global and Regional aspects of Human Rights (Aspectos globales y regionales de los Derechos Humanos).
- Panel 3: Gendered aspects of Human Rights (Aspectos de género en los Derechos Humanos).
- Panel 4: Children in Conflict situations (La infancia en situaciones de conflicto).
A world-class closing lecture
To round off these two intensive days of academic proceedings, the symposium will feature a closing lecture by the renowned international expert, Dr Kevin Jon Heller, Professor of International Law and Security at the Centre for Military Studies at the University of Copenhagen.
Dr Heller will deliver a lecture entitled “Promoting Human Rights at the ICC: “A (Former) Insider’s Perspective”, in which he will share his valuable insights and experience gained whilst working within the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This symposium marks the culmination of the academic efforts of this new cohort of students, whilst strengthening our Faculty’s collaboration within the postgraduate networks supported by the European Commission’s Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA).
