This summer, the Ludovika Campus is once again hosting the Global Minority Rights Summer School event. The week-long event, which welcomes nearly twenty international students, was opened by the rector of Ludovika University, Gergely Deli, on July 8th at the Orczy Dormitory.
The rector highlighted that LUPS is one of the most important regional research centers in the public sector, with a key goal of continuously strengthening its international connections and visibility, thereby building bridges through various training programs. Gergely Deli also spoke about why minority rights are so crucial for Hungary. Firstly, because there are 13 indigenous minorities living in the country, and also because millions of Hungarians live beyond the country's borders. The university's Faculty of Public Governance and International Studies (FPGIS) and its Department of International Law are the leading domestic experts in this legal field.
Due to the importance of this topic, the Minority Policy Research Workshop was established at LUPS in 2022. Regarding the summer school, the rector also mentioned that this Hungarian initiative, organized in collaboration with external and international partners, has now become a well-known international brand. It offers multicultural and interdisciplinary knowledge, providing an opportunity for participants to build new international connections and friendships.
As mentioned at the opening, this year's program revolves around the themes of environmental justice and minority rights. The summer school, now organized for the twelfth time, is co-organized by LUPS, the Tom Lantos Institute, and the Human Rights Consortium of the University of London. Following the rector's opening speech, Anna Mária Bíró, director of the Tom Lantos Institute (TLI), addressed the participants. She stated that the TLI is always interested in new approaches to minority rights issues. This year's topic is particularly intriguing as it examines how environmental protection laws affect the homes of numerous national minorities worldwide.
Corinne Lennox, co-director of the Human Rights Consortium at the University of London, emphasized in her brief welcome speech that her institution has been training minority rights experts in postgraduate programs for 24 years. She also stressed that it is always wonderful to collaborate with the Hungarian organizers of the summer school. Balázs Vizi, associate professor at the LUPS FPGIS Department of International Law, added that collaboration with civil organizations like the Tom Lantos Institute energizes representatives of the academic sphere. He also drew the attention of participants from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas to the fact that, in addition to gaining knowledge and engaging in debates, a publication opportunity is also available: in the journal Acta Humana – Human Rights Publications.
Text: Tibor Sarnyai
Photo: Dénes Szilágyi