Supporting Interactive Learning Methodologies in Human Rights Education in Cambodia

Human Rights Education Program Update

On 12 September, the WSD HANDA Center for Human Rights and International Justice, in collaboration with the East West Center, held a showcase to promote the mainstreaming of interactive learning methodologies in its Human Rights and Criminal Justice course in Cambodian universities. This project, funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, is designed to promote rule of law and human rights education in Cambodian universities and build the capacity of lecturers by providing training, pedagogical support and professional development opportunities.

Mr. Francis Hout, representing the Government of Canada, and Professor David Cohen, Director of the Handa Center, opened the collaborative event which included participation from the leading Cambodian universities to discuss the future of human rights education in Cambodia.

The showcase provided a forum in which members of law faculties from different universities could meet and hold frank discussions about their experiences with interactive learning and human rights education.

Participants shared challenges they had faced in applying interactive styles of teaching and learning, and discussed possible solutions to these challenges.

What's next?

The Handa Center is excited to be expanding its education program by launching a Khmer language version of the course. Next month ten new teachers from Khmer-language law universities will join the existing cohort of human rights lecturers to undertake a training program covering the content of the course as well as innovative teaching approaches to better prepare them to teach the subject.