Summer School 2022 "Normativity and reality in human rights", 12-16 September 2022

The third edition of the residential summer school on “Normativity and Reality of Human Rights” is organised by the Human Rights Centre “Antonio Papisca” of the University of Padova and the Human Rights Consortium of the SAS at the University of London.

Human rights studies have entered a phase in which many of their epistemic tenants are critically questioned and even contested. Indeed, the expression “human rights” denotes socio-factual phenomena and the normative framework. Ontological and epistemic transformations mediated by the digitalisation of nature and societies have arguably shattered all components of the human rights field. Two issues have emerged as particularly relevant: the call for “innovation”, loosely referred to as the need to incorporate technology in any research design, and the correlated imperative of producing “data-driven” research.
The summer school aims to address these issues critically, assess their practical implications, and discuss their potential impact on a research project’s theoretical frame and methodological design.

Prospective students

The Summer School is addressed to current and prospective PhD candidates and postgraduate students, early-career academics, practitioners and scholars interested in human rights studies. The programme encourages the participation of researchers with an interdisciplinary approach. In selecting participants, efforts are made to guarantee diversity in gender, geo-cultural backgrounds, disciplines of study, and age. The maximum number of participants is 24. Places are reserved for students from the Doctorate in Human Rights, Society and Multi-level Governance at the University of Padova.

Academic quality and credits
The summer school is organised by the University of Padova, Human Rights Centre. Lectures and workshops are held by scholars from the University of Padova and other partner universities.
The programme includes formal and non-formal learning activities. Full participation entitles to 6 the awarding of 6 ECTS credits. The Human Rights Centre of the University of Padova can produce a certificate of participation at request.

There are no tuition fees.

Accommodation and accommodation cost waiver
The Summer School is residential.
Participants are expected to find full-board accommodation on-site, where rooms have been booked at a set price. Please contact/visit: https://www.termesalesiani.it/sanmarco.
The Programme will cover the accommodation costs of up to 12 participants. Cost waivers will be granted based on academic merit.

Programme

Module 1 - Innovation in human rights research and practice

Monday 12
10:00 – 10:30
Salutations and short introduction
Gabriella Salviulo and Paolo De Stefani, University of Padova
10:30 – 12:30
Laura Nota, University of Padova
Toward societies based on inclusion, human rights, and social and environmental justice: the role of research and universities.

Damien Short, SAS, University of London
Researching human rights: recent debates and challenges

15:00 – 17:30
Introduction of the participants and of their ongoing research projects.

Tuesday 13
10:00 – 12:30
Workshop: What is innovation? Discussion based on the analysis of ongoing research projects.
Afternoon
Bike trip to the Euganei Hills and the Praglia Abbey (optional)

Module 2 - Producing, analysing, and communicating data in human rights studies

Wednesday 14
10:00 – 12:30
Arrigo Opocher, University of Padova
Economic disadvantage: definitions, measures, empirics

Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, NU Galway
HR monitoring trends: evolutionary interpretation, intersectional approach and fact-finding methodologies.

15:00 – 17:30
Nicoletta Zappile, UPR Info, Geneva (online); Barbara Maculan, Equality; Cinzia Bragagnolo, Veneto Region, N.A.V.I.G.A.Re project
Collecting and processing data for human rights-related research and advocacy: Practitioners’ perspectives. Panel discussion

Thursday 15
10:00 – 12:30
Workshop: How to work with data? Discussion based on the analysis of ongoing research projects
With Sara Santilli, University of Padova (Research, inclusion and quali/quantitative methods) and Francesca Cimino, PhD in Human Rights, Society and Multilevel Governance.

Free afternoon (individual study or teamwork).
Evening:
Thermal pool (optional).

Friday 16
10:00 – 12:30
Data visualisation and infographic design: theory, methods, tools
A workshop run by Save the Children Italy
15:00 – 17:00
Individual/team reports on lessons learned and skills acquired
With Maria Castiglioni, University of Padova.

17:30
Closing of the school and diploma award

Summer school coordinator: Paolo De Stefani, University of Padova