Last edition
Shaping the future: a year in review
“To have the opportunity to learn in an environment such as this one, from not only renowned professors and experts, but also from your peers is unique and life-changing. To have this amount of access to education is a chance to embrace distinction, and most importantly to make a difference.”
Vitória, EMA Student Representative 2024-25
Some of the 2024-25 unforgettable experiences...
1.
Skills Building Activities
A practice approach to human rights education
The academic programme is enhanced by a focus on practice and skills building. Highlights include moot courts led by a judge of the European Court for Human Rights and by a former prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, the student-led Human Rights Film Festival, and workshops on project management, communicating human rights, digital verification of human rights violations, and human rights impact assessment led by practitioners from leading human rights institutions across Europe.
The 14th edition of the EMA Human Rights Film Festival focused on children’s rights, especially highlighting the experiences of those growing up amid conflict. In a world where many young lives are impacted by displacement, violence, and instability, Ma Quanto Manca? Stories of Conflict and Resilience in Childhood shined a light on the strength of children navigating these challenges.
“Balancing our studies with organising the festival takes a lot of effort, but it’s all worth it! We all share the same purpose: to amplify the voices of children whose rights are often ignored. We work together to create a platform that raises awareness on these crucial issues through films.”
The EMA Film Festival 2024 Communications team
2.
Kosovo field trip
January 2025
The field trip to Kosovo has been an annual highlight in the EMA programme for over twenty years. Organised to emulate the experience of human rights field mission, the trip is the culmination of the topics studied in the first semester and a unique opportunity to better understand how human rights work looks like on the ground.
The programme involves over 60 different visits to politicians and officials, international organisations, arts organisations, local NGOs, and cultural heritage sites over the course of a seven day visit. This allows students to see the great variety of actors involved in human rights and democratisation efforts in Kosovo.
“The Kosovo trip stands out as one of the most memorable and enriching academic field experiences of my academic journey. It was a unique blend of learning, fun, networking, and real-world exposure. The trip provided valuable insights through engaging discussions and visits, while also allowing us to connect more deeply with each other and the region.”
EMA Student 2024-25
Students in discussion at EU-Lex © Press office EULEX
© Unicef Kosovo
3.
GRADUATION CEREMONY
September 2025
A joyful celebration of academic excellence and human rights advocacy, the EMA graduation ceremony took place at the historical Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista in Venice.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the annual presentation of the EMAlumni Award, which recognises the outstanding contributions of an EMA graduate making a significant impact in the field of human rights. In 2025, the awardee was Thomas Coombes, founder of the community of activists Hope-based communications.
During the event, the recipients of EMA Internship Programme, a paid 5 month internship awarded to the top 15 graduates each year, were also announced, along with the EMA Awarded Theses.
A special highlight of this year’s ceremony was a keynote speech from Oleksandra Matviichuk, Right Livelihood Laureate 2022 and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, a leading Ukrainian human rights lawyer and head of the Centre for Civil Liberties, whose work has been vital in documenting war crimes and defending civic freedoms.
4.
GLOBAL CLASSROOM
October 2025
The Global Classroom 2025 was a transformative four-month programme, culminating in a student conference held from October 27-31 in Bangkok, Thailand. Bringing together students and alumni from eight regional Master’s programmes across the Global Campus network, the initiative centred around the theme “Business, the Environment, and Human Rights”.
This was not just a conference but the result of months of rigorous academic work, collaboration, and dedication from both students and faculty.
5.
GRADUATION CEREMONY
September 2024
A joyful celebration of academic excellence and human rights advocacy, the EMA graduation ceremony took place at the historical Scuola Grande San Giovanni Evangelista in Venice.
One of the highlights of the ceremony was the annual presentation of the EMAlumni Award, which honours the exceptional contributions of an alum who is making a significant impact in the field of human rights. In 2024, the awardee was Andra Matei, Founding Director at Avant-Garde Lawyers.
The awardees of EMA Internship Programme, a paid 5 month internship awarded to the top 15 graduates each year, as well as the EMA Awarded Theses are also announced during the ceremony.
A special highlight this year was a keynote address from Albin Kurti, the prime minister of Kosovo, invited in recognition of 20 years of hospitality shown to EMA students by the people of Kosovo during the annual field trip to Kosovo.
A few words from our Alumni and Alumnae
“It felt like we lived a whole mini life in just one year – one moment it felt endless, the next it was done. All the new faces, everything we got to know, the personal shifts, and the friendships that will last – it’s kind of wild how much fit into such a short time.”
“At a time when the world often feels like it’s falling apart – torn by war and driven by the pursuit of power at all (human) costs – this year gave me something invaluable: hope”
“This year was one of the most important, life changing time of my life. I needed this experience so much, and it really helped me in so many ways. I’m very grateful life brought me here and that I got to meet so many kind and smart people!”
“I thought Venice would be the highlight, then I found Galway and it felt like home!”