Last edition
Shaping the future: a year in review
“This master surely makes for an unforgettable journey that starts with getting to know 90 new people from all around the world in a monastery on a small island. These people ended up being my closest confidants and biggest help during the last months. But not only the people, also the content and the classes have left an imprint on me and there is no chance I will ever forget the past months.”
Chiara, EMA Student Representative 2023-24
Some of the 2023-24 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.
“I think there was a high level of ambition from the students to produce something genuinely interesting. This was a challenge, and of course, we had to make compromises and add a big dose of realism too. But it showed me that some things are possible if you’re just determined enough about it! I could see that some of the films had made people think differently, or start conversations about difficult topics. […] I think the festival helped to remind us why we all want to work for Human Rights in the first place.”
Catriona, EMA film festival coordinator 2023-24
2.
Kosovo field trip
January 2024
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.
“Our field trip to Kosovo was a turning point. It opened my eyes to the true meaning and extensive preparation behind this seemingly simple activity. That week in Kosovo was undeniably the most impactful of the entire master’s program. It wasn’t just about theory anymore. We had the chance to apply all the theoretical approaches we’d learned to real-world situations. What’s more, we interacted with the most significant political institutions in Kosovo, gaining invaluable insights. Visiting Mitrovica and working alongside NGOs solidified my calling. I realized I don’t want to be a human rights defender confined to a desk; I want to be in the field, making a direct difference.”
EMA Student 2023-24
Students in discussion with President Osmani © Press office of the president
Students in discussion at EU-Lex © Press office EULEX
© Unicef Kosovo
3.
FRA FORUM
March 2024
A delegation of EMA students participated in the Fundamental Rights Forum, organised by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), and entitled ‘Rights in Motion: Embracing the Human Rights for Europe’s Future’. Eight students were involved as assistant note-takers at human rights tables, at three plenary discussions as well as at the two closing panels.
The two-day forum was an inspiring get-together of important traditional and non-traditional human rights actors committed to initiate coalitions, to think about and present solutions, and to facilitate transfer of knowledge, skills, promising practices, and roadmaps for action through workshops, masterclasses, and pop-up chats.
As a follow up to this very enriching experience, the delegation of EMA students wrote six posts for the Global Campus Human Rights Preparedness blog in which they reflect on conversations developed on the three thematic strands of the Forum, and namely (1) protecting democracy and civic space in Europe, (2) shaping a socially and environmentally sustainable Europe, and (3) ensuring rights-compliant digitalisation.
4.
GLOBAL CLASSROOM
June 2024
The Global Classroom 2024 was a transformative six-month programme, culminating in a student conference held from June 17-21 in Bishkek and Issyk Kul, Kyrgyzstan. Bringing together students from eight regional Master’s programmes across the Global Campus network, the initiative centred around the theme “Just Transition: Conditions for Change of the Global Order.”
This was not just a conference but the result of months of rigorous academic work, collaboration, and dedication from both students and faculty. The programme in Kyrgyzstan provided a platform to discuss in-depth research on issues like civil society engagement, democratic institution building, transitional justice, and the resilience of democratic institutions in times of global transition.
After the Global Classroom event, the EMA participating students finalised their papers; their abstracts feature in the publication “Just Transition: Conditions for Change of the Global Order. Global Classroom 2024. Collection of student abstracts”.
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
“For me, this Master’s was the beginning of a new life, and I couldn't have wished for a better one. I will cherish forever the memories and connections I made during my time in Lido and will miss the home we managed to build there.”
“It was a process that opened my perception both academically and socially. I am very glad that I accepted this challenge; it has pushed me to grow in all directions.”
“The masters taught me about the goodness in people, the power of sharing and bonding and dancing your fears away, and how to nurture hope one day at a time.”
“The best aspect of EMA is that it allowed me to find my voice and use it to express myself. Once I started to lead with certainty instead of fear and self-doubt, the most amazing things started to happen.”