San Diego State University Launches

In June 2021, San Diego State University (SDSU) announced the establishment of a new Center for Human Rights. Housed within the SDSU College of Arts and Letters (CAL), the center aims at supporting and providing interdisciplinary education and research on human rights. Additionally, it offers opportunities to engage in related issues on both local and global levels.

CAL Dean Monica J. Casper cited SDSU’s location on land belonging to the Native American tribe Kumeyaay and the close proximity with the US-Mexico border, where human rights are often disregarded, as a particularly suitable setting for broadening ongoing human rights work. She also applauded the center’s director and professor of political science, Grace Cheng.

Dr. Cheng began the groundwork for the center in 2018. Since then, she has spearheaded the Interdisciplinary Human Rights Initiative to get students involved in the comprehensive study of human rights. The establishment of CAL furthers the opportunities for growth and expansion, which in turn will benefit future students and facilitate greater collaboration on pressing human rights issues.

Apart from being the driving force behind the center, Dr. Cheng also assembled its steering committee, which comprises SDSU faculty members and experts in human rights issues from various fields of study. The committee includes professors of communication, women’s studies, Latin American studies, European studies, international security and conflict resolution, and film, to mention a few.

This diversity aligns with the center’s aim for interdisciplinary human rights education and research and is reflected in its curriculum. The curriculum covers a wide range of related topics to provide more comprehensive insight into rights issues; topics range from politics and economics to public health and the environment.

Another key objective of the new center is to develop students’ critical thinking on contemporary social and economic issues and how to look for and develop solutions. For example, William Twayigize, a professor at SDSU’s Institute for International Security and Conflict Resolution, teaches a course titled “Our Global Future.” The course reviews the major current resource and social crises around the globe and their immediate and future impact. It also discusses these crises from various perspectives, including through the lenses of history, environment, and urban context, to discern potential sustainable solutions.

Professor Twayigize considers it essential to build awareness of human rights among students. He notes that bringing up a new generation more engaged in human rights-related issues will contribute to a fairer, more tolerant, and more equal society.

SDSU’s new center also confers a Certificate in Human Rights, obtainable by students from all majors. Additionally, it presents students with various practical opportunities, such as research opportunities and internships at local and worldwide nongovernmental and other human rights organizations.

According to Dr. Cheng, it is the joint efforts of the different academic departments, the NGOs, student organizations, and partner institutions that contribute to creating synergy.

In the future, the Center for Human Rights plans to expand both its curriculum and its experiential opportunities. Some examples include additional courses on relevant and timely matters, a film and lecture series, and more study abroad and internship options.