Scholarship Course on access to justice in Southeast Asia and Beyond

Faculty of Law, University of Jember, 20^th July – 14^th August 2025

1. Background

The course introduces and explains the barriers to accessing justice in Southeast Asia and beyond. The course will explore how individuals and communities face challenges in obtaining fair treatment and effective resolution in their home countries. Based on this contentious reality, the course will provide an overview of current issues and debates in the field with a focus on issues specific to Indonesia and the Southeast Asia region.

This course aims to explore some aspects of the diverse and increasingly complex realities of the access to justice, the reception of international human rights law, and the interaction of national and international legal frameworks to promote equal justice for all. The course also seeks to analyse the ways in which allegations of human rights violations are dealt with in the state apparatus and the impact of human rights discourse in the Indonesian national context.

The Faculty of Law at the University of Jember, East Java Indonesia believes that navigating the challenges posed by cultural resistance to human rights requires a delicate balance between respecting cultural diversity and upholding fundamental human rights principles. Our work aims to mitigate this tension so that human rights norms and principles can be implemented and promoted in Indonesia and other countries in a peaceful way. It is necessary to engage in dialogue, promote education, and raise awareness to foster a better understanding of human rights within diverse cultural contexts.

This course is designed as part of the University of Jember’s commitment to promote justice and human rights within academia and society at large. Thus, we provide this human rights course with a comparative approach, which covers the historical origins, development, and the present challenges of human rights in Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and beyond.

2. Objectives

The objectives of the course include:

1. Introduce and explore the various kinds of implementation and challenges for access to justice in Southeast Asia and beyond.
2. Familiarize participants with the historical origins and developments of global human rights.
3. Explore the philosophical and ethical foundations of human rights and how these foundations have faced challenges in the globalized world which affect access to justice for vulnerable groups.
4. Investigate the debates surrounding fair access to justice in Southeast Asia and other regions.
5. Analyze the role of non-governmental organizations and advocacy groups in improving access to justice and promoting human rights.
6. Understand the intersectionality of human rights issues and other social justice movements.
7. Develop critical thinking skills and engage in ethical reasoning regarding human rights dilemmas.
8. Encourage active participation in promoting access to justice and protecting human rights at individual, national, and global levels.

3. Participants

• The course will select 20 participants from academic institutions, non-governmental organizations, and early-career community leaders.
• Eligible participants should be between 20 to 30 years old and have at least one year of experience working in the fields of community development, peacebuilding, human rights, multiculturalism, refugee assistance, migration, and conflict resolution.
• Undergraduate students in their final year and graduate students are encouraged to apply.
• Applicants from underrepresented minority groups, including but not limited to gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability, are encouraged to apply.

4. Instructors

Course instructors will offer international expertise on legal analysis and human rights from the Faculty of Law at the University of Jember (Indonesia), Birmingham Law School (United Kingdom), San Diego State University (United States), and the University of New England (Australia).

5. Course Format

The course will be delivered in English in an integrated approach, combining classroom instruction, field visits, and in-depth discussions with local communities, particularly Indigenous and vulnerable groups in East Java, Indonesia. Participants will have the opportunity to meet with the Tengger Indigenous Peoples, Osing Indigenous Peoples, Islamic boarding schools, religious leaders, community leaders, and local civil society organisations. The course will culminate with the 8^th Human Rights Conference, which will be held at Airlangga University in Surabaya, Indonesia. 

5. Course Fee

The course fee is $2000 USD, which covers hotel accommodation, meals, local transport, tickets for cultural experiences and outbound activities including to Mount Ijen, Bromo-Tengger-Semeru UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jember Fashion Carnival, Mud Festival, coffee plantations, and other cultural attractions.

6. Scholarships

The Faculty of Law at the University of Jember will provide merit-based scholarships for 10 participants, which will cover the full course fee. All applicants will automatically be considered for funding.

7. Application

The deadline to apply is 28^th February, 2025. Please submit your CV and a motivation letter through the application form: tinyurl.com/UNEJ-HRC2024