Lucerne Academy for Human Rights Implementation

The next Lucerne Academy for Human Rights Implementation will take place from 30 June - 11 July 2025 at the University of Lucerne.

The online application period for the 2025 Lucerne Academy for Human Rights Implementation will open in November 2024. 

The Lucerne Academy for Human Rights Implementation is a two-week program of coursework and hands-on learning for advanced law students and legal practitioners held in the heart of Europe at the University of Lucerne, Faculty of Law, in Switzerland, in partnership with several distinguished international law schools. In 2025 the main topic of the Lucerne Academy's Summer School is “Business and Human Rights”.

During the Summer School, participants are given the chance to learn and consolidate the theoretical and trial skills necessary to prepare for a career in human rights. Participants will not only learn about the field of human rights, but also about how to incorporate that knowledge into the actual work of defending human rights. Special focus will be placed on advocacy skills such as case assessment and oral argumentation. All courses, lunch seminars and the participation will be conducted in English.

The Lucerne Academy for Human Rights Implementation ensures a high degree of academic quality as well as interaction between participants and academic staff.

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Courses

In 2025 the Lucerne Academy provides participants different courses focused exclusively on human rights law of the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Covenants on Human Rights. All participants attend courses of their choice, three of which are mandatory. Participants take their written exams in these three mandatory courses.  In the regular courses, the participants acquire necessary and fundamental theoretical knowledge. The classes are taught by distinguished professors and practitioners from around the globe. Further information on the individual courses will follow soon.

Lunch seminars

Furthermore, the Lucerne Academy offers particpants various lunch seminars led by renowned speakers. During the lunch seminars, the participants gain insights into the practical reality and have the chance to learn directly from distinguished practitioners about the work in the field of human rights and, above all, learn how to implement human rights. In the lunch seminars, participants will receive practice-oriented knowledge on current human rights issues and discuss interactively possible solutions to specific questions and topics related to human rights.

Excursions

The Lucerne Academy also offers participants two excursions, one to Geneva and one to Strasbourg. In Geneva, the participants will visit the European headquarters of the United Nations, as well as various NGOs. In Strasbourg, the participants will visit the seat of the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe. During the excursions, the participants learn more about the organizations and the European Court of Human Rights and their specific roles and tasks. In addition, they interact with important NGOs and officials and acquire an insight into the practice of human rights implementation.

Participants can earn seven (7) ECTS credits for the successful completion of the courses and lunch seminars. There will be written exams in English at the end of the two-week program. Participants will be awarded a Certificate of Completion upon successful completion of the courses and lunch seminars.

If you have any specific questions about our summer program, the Lucerne Academy for Human Rights Implementation, please do not hesitate to contact Ofelia Safarian.

On the following website you will also find information about our summer school: www.summerschoolsineurope.eu

The application period for the Lucerne Academy 2025 will open in November 2024.

Please note that the places are limited, and we will close the application process for the 2025 Lucerne Academy Summer School program earlier, if we are fully booked. We therefore recommend that applicants, who are considering applying, apply early.