Students Highlight Transformative Impact of the Course in Coimbra

The Facts and Norms Institute (FNI) and Ius Gentium Conimbrigae - Center for Human Rights at the University of Coimbra successfully held the Advanced Course on International Law and Human Rights from January 29th to February 2nd, 2024.

Hosted at the Palácio dos Melos, within the premises of the renowned University of Coimbra, the event brought together experts and students for an intensive journey of learning and debates on crucial human rights issues.

Following the success of the course, participants shared their impressions of the enriching experience at the historic University of Coimbra. The evaluations reveal the impact the course had on their personal and professional lives.

The Experience in One Word

When asked to describe their experience in Coimbra in just one word, the students responded:

• Petrine do Valle: "Fulfillment."

  
  

• Franziska da Silva Frisch: "Growth."

  
  

• Yago Ferreira Freire: "Integration."

  
  

• Estéfany Rocha Monteiro: "Transformative."

  
  

• Edson Nunes da Silva Júnior: "Magical."

  
  

• Carlos Henrique Alves: "It was an extremely enriching experience to be taught by the best professors at the University of Coimbra. Quality, organization, punctuality are important hallmarks that make all the difference. I dream of returning one day."

  
  

• Dane Marcos Avanzi: "Confidence."

  
  

• Ana Elisa Barbosa Mourão: "Enriching."

  
  

• Ana Flávia Trevizan: "Spectacular."

  
  

• Nathalia Brito de Carvalho: "Wonderful"

  
  

• Caroline Mignoni: "Extraordinary!"

  
  

• Larissa Vieira: "Unique."

Motivations for their Participating in the Course

The students shared the reasons that led them to enroll in the course:

• Petrine do Valle:

  "I have always had a great appreciation for the University of Coimbra and discovered myself in the area of International Law during my undergraduate studies. When I saw the opportunity of the course, I realized that it would be the perfect time to combine two of my passions and increase my academic and personal knowledge."

  
  

• Franziska da Silva Frisch:

  "Deepening my knowledge in the area of human rights."

  
  

• Yago Ferreira Freire:

  "The possibility of engaging with other researchers in International Law and Human Rights."

  
  

• Estéfany Rocha Monteiro:

  "Several factors motivated me to participate in the course.

  Firstly, the renowned names of the professors giving the lectures, from the course organizer, Professor Henrique Napoleão Alves, who has an incredible history in the defense of human rights, to the invited names from the Center for Human Rights at the University of Coimbra.

  Secondly, the disciplines offered covered current issues in the defense of human rights.

  Thirdly, the possibility of presenting a paper at a renowned university like Coimbra was a differential, as well as listening to the presentations of colleagues who also had very interesting topics.

  Fourthly, the organization of the course also offered thematic tours of the university, providing an environment of cultural exchange that was very beneficial to all students.

  The sum of these factors left me with no doubt about my desire to be part of such an excellent course with the potential to offer so much to the students."

  
  

• Edson Nunes da Silva Júnior:

  "My personal interest in international relations, law, and geopolitics are always current topics that dialogue with the present and future needs of our society."

  
  

• Carlos Henrique Alves:

  "To be at the best university with the best professionals."

  
  

• Dane Marcos Avanzi:

  "To have an experience in a European University."

  
  

• Ana Elisa Barbosa Mourão:

  "To be able to know the perspectives of European universities on human rights, to live an academic experience outside of Brazil, and to meet people with similar interests to mine."

  
  

• Ana Flávia Trevizan:

  "Networking."

  
  

• Nathalia Brito de Carvalho:

  "The combination of Law, a trip to a country I didn't know, and a prestigious university."

  
  

• Caroline Mignoni:

  "To learn in one of the academic cradles of Law. The curriculum of the course and the location were certainly determining factors."

  
  

• Larissa Vieira:

  "I've always wanted to participate in a course like this, but I hadn't had the opportunity yet."

  
  
  
  
  
  

Main Learnings

Participants also highlighted their key learnings:

• Petrine do Valle:

  "I learned more deeply about Human Rights and the importance of this approach in our current context and how the world we are in is constantly changing, our role and knowledge become essential."

  
  

• Franziska da Silva Frisch:

  "I learned more about the practice of human rights and expanded my view on the topics that are part of the subject."

  
  

• Estéfany Rocha Monteiro:

  "It's hard to talk about just one. With each lecture, I learned a little more about human rights and international law.

  But by far, the main learning I took away after seeing so many lectures with high-level professionals was that there are many ways to fight for human rights as an international law professional, and that our career and struggle is and always will be necessary.

  I believe that the lectures have given me a new breath, a desire to learn, and an understanding of how transformative human rights are and can be, something we need to carry with us always."

  
  

• Edson Nunes da Silva Júnior:

  "The fight for human rights is everyone's duty and affects each of us daily. Understanding how to position myself and how to hold authorities accountable, based on the knowledge acquired, which gave me the possibility of seeing reality from different perspectives, understanding how this struggle, whether for equity among different peoples or for the effectiveness of treaties formed in geopolitics, impacts my life and that of everyone around me."

  
  

• Carlos Henrique Alves:

  "Change in the way of dealing with Human Rights."

  
  

• Dane Marcos Avanzi:

  "The topics related to Human Rights and the class on Artificial Intelligence."

  
  

• Ana Elisa Barbosa Mourão:

  "The learnings that most marked me were not so much from the course itself, but mainly in relation to the knowledge brought by the other participants about their academic and professional projects."

  
  

• Ana Flávia Trevizan:

  "The differences between human rights in Portugal and Brazil, the different perspectives, and political actions."

  
  

• Nathalia Brito de Carvalho:

  "Immersion allows us to think about Law from a new angle: because it is a place with a very rich history, we can see it from the perspective of its evolution."

  
  

• Caroline Mignoni:

  "The responsibility and awareness of Human, Individual and Collective Rights is everyone's duty, not just the State's. As citizens, we have an obligation to engage in the protection of Rights, their conservation, as well as to monitor their fulfillment."

• Larissa Vieira:

  "It was an excellent time to get to know the university, other colleagues, and make new partnerships."

Favorite Classes and Themes

The students highlighted their favorite classes and themes:

• Petrine do Valle:

  "'Democracy and Human Rights' - It was a theme that aroused several questions in me and also made me understand more deeply the role that the maintenance of Human Rights implies in our democracies."

  
  

• Franziska da Silva Frisch:

  "Education for human rights, because it changed my point of view on the subject, it made me want to delve deeper into the subject."

  
  

• Yago Ferreira Freire:

  "I would like to highlight two. The first one, the class on corruption and Human Rights, I believe that of all the classes, this one brought an innovative perspective - which I had not reflected on before - on the subject, based on comparative studies between different countries in Europe, but also in Latin America. The second one, the class that dealt with the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in contrast with the other human rights courts, because knowing more about the depth of the decisions and the innovation of the measures of action and reparation contained in these decisions was important for my studies on the subject."

  
  

• Estéfany Rocha Monteiro:

  "My favorite class was Professor Henrique's, when he talked about his career path and a little about careers in human rights. That day, I think I've never taken notes so fast! I didn't want to miss a word, the professor's lecture was both exciting and inspiring. His trajectory to get to the Inter-American Commission is admirable, as well as his humility and willingness to learn. That's why I believe that in this course we didn't just receive lessons on how to work with human rights, but also on how to live them: Professor Henrique is an example to be followed, a human being who lives for human rights every day in all his gestures, words, and actions. I believe that I learned and still have a lot to learn from the professor, so the opportunity to participate in a course alongside him is unmissable for anyone who wants to learn more about human rights!"

  
  

• Edson Nunes da Silva Júnior:

  "The relationship between human rights and corruption was particularly intriguing for me, because the exposition of how the deviations of state agents impact the lives of the population in nuances that go unnoticed was very interesting for me."

  
  

• Carlos Henrique Alves:

  "Human Rights in their historical context and in the present day."

  
  

• Dane Marcos Avanzi:

  "The class by Professor Jonathas Machado was very remarkable."

  
  

• Ana Elisa Barbosa Mourão:

  "The class on the Inter-American system was very interesting because it allowed me to understand the European academy's point of view on the system and the comparisons between the two regions."

  
  

• Ana Flávia Trevizan:

  "Corruption. For bringing an essential approach to the political discussion, which I was not aware of."

  
  

• Nathalia Brito de Carvalho:

  "I liked them all."

  
  

• Caroline Mignoni:

"There were two primary topics:

1- Prof. Natália Moreno's class - Protection of Human Rights in the Regional Scope: The Inter-American System. It brought an enriching view of the topic, as well as a super detailed explanation.

2- Professor Henrique's class, added to the teachings that he wrote down on paper and that moved us greatly. Theory, we learn in academic halls; but experience and advice, only life and friends can give us! It was exquisite advice."

• Larissa Vieira:

  "The class on corruption gave us a critical view of the topic. And the class on human rights education, a very relevant topic for my work."

Relevance of the Topics for Brazil and the World

Students also referred to the relevance of the topics covered in the course for Brazil and the world:

• Petrine do Valle:

  "I believe that all of them are important in some way, but especially the topic on 'Corruption and Human Rights'."

  
  

• Franziska da Silva Frisch:

  "Democracy and Human Rights and Corruption and Human Rights."

  
  

• Yago Ferreira Freire:

  "Of all the classes, for me the most important topics were about the Inter-American human rights system because in Brazil there is still little dissemination of how to access these courts. In addition, I also found interesting the presentations of papers relating the issues of traditional communities and human rights protection systems to be."

  
  

• Estéfany Rocha Monteiro:

  "Personally, I found it very relevant that we talked about the right to education, refugees, and environmental law. I believe it is difficult to choose only a few topics because human rights are relevant in many areas, but these two were fundamental considering the recent developments in the world."

  
  

• Edson Nunes da Silva Júnior:

  "I believe that the problem that arises in the face of the challenge of putting into practice the treaties signed between different international players, such as climate conventions or the universalization of Internet access."

  
  

• Dane Marcos Avanzi:

  "Artificial Intelligence, ESG and Human Rights, the maintenance of the democratic regime."

  
  

• Ana Elisa Barbosa Mourão:

  "The Inter-American system, but also the other works presented by colleagues that brought topics of extreme relevance to the country, such as, for example, the works on the prison system, on racial issues in the context of artificial intelligence and on the relations between Europe and Brazil."

  
  

• Ana Flávia Trevizan:

  "Human rights in relation to gender, diversity, and inclusion."

  
  

• Nathalia Brito de Carvalho:

  "The approach to Human Rights is very rich."

  
  

• Caroline Mignoni: Translation:

  "World Peace; The Limits of States; the Use of Power and Democracy."

  
  
  
  
  
  

For Future Editions

Participants offered suggestions for future editions:

• Petrine do Valle:

  "Maybe a mock trial would be interesting."

  
  

• Franziska da Silva Frisch:

  "Maybe dilute the course over more days or change the schedule of classes."

  
  

• Yago Ferreira Freire:

  "As the classes were taught by professors from the University of Coimbra and all students already had some degree of critical analysis on the topics covered, especially the Brazilians, I believe that it would be important to align that students will learn about International Law from the perspective of a European country. In the last year, I understood that the perspectives of International Law and Human Rights that address the subject from the materialist point of view are able to provide a more advanced point of view than the "normative" one still widespread in most of the European academy. So, in a way, some issues were very introductory and it would be important to align this point of view."

  
  

• Estéfany Rocha Monteiro:

  "Just make the course a recurring event and always form new partnerships with other universities. It would also be amazing if we could have a course lasting more than a week so that we could have even more contact with the subjects!"

  
  

• Edson Nunes da Silva Júnior:

  "The course was perfect from start to finish, there is nothing I can suggest."

  
  

• Carlos Henrique Alves:

  "Certainly the course adds academic and professional knowledge values."

  
  

• Dane Marcos Avanzi:

  "Longer workload, with more days."

  
  

• Ana Elisa Barbosa Mourão:

  "I suggest having a little more time for discussions after the presentations, as they were the moments of greatest interaction and exchange of knowledge."

  
  

• Ana Flávia Trevizan:

  "Address more issues related to inclusion and diversity, especially from the LGBTQIA+ perspective."

  
  

• Nathalia Brito de Carvalho:

  "I have no suggestions for future courses."

  
  

• Caroline Mignoni:

  "Everything was perfect. I would suggest doing 2 editions per year, with another edition of the same curriculum/schedule, in July - vacation time in Brazil and vacation time in the USA."

Impact of the Course on Personal and Professional Life

Participants reported how the course impacted their personal and professional lives:

• Petrine do Valle:

  "I definitely left Coimbra with a new academic, professional, and personal perspective. I was able to apply my knowledge not only at university but also in my daily life, as well as contribute to my future within the scope of International Law as my career."

  
  

• Franziska da Silva Frisch:

  "Participating in the course had an impact on my professional life because it made me choose a topic to dedicate myself to in my research, the theme of education for human rights, which really caught my attention and awakened in me the desire to put into practice the discussions we had with Professor Catarina. Personally, both the experience in Coimbra and the contact with colleagues and professors made me realize the possibility of continuing my development in other places in the world and of feeling like I was part of a group with similar goals and vision."

  
  

• Yago Ferreira Freire:

  "While studying for a master's degree at universities in Europe, I felt unmotivated at some point because, except for a few specific centers, these institutions show little interest or openness to understanding the perspective of International Law from students in Latin America. Engaging with other students who felt the same way gave me the motivation to continue my studies in academic life, which is generally quite lonely. In addition, Professor Henrique's class on opportunities in International Law, telling a little about his career path, also impacted my professional life, because professionals are rarely willing to share their experience of how they paved their professional path."

  
  

• Estéfany Rocha Monteiro:

  "Personally, I left the course wanting to learn more and with a transformative view of human rights and, especially, about the human rights defender that I want to be. Professionally, the course completely impacted my professional network, considering a certificate not only of participation in a renowned course but also of presenting a paper in a multicultural environment. I believe that I now have much more international experience than before, which makes my resume as a whole more attractive for international applications, considering the weight of both the University of Coimbra and the Facts and Norms Institute."

  
  

• Edson Nunes da Silva Júnior:

  "Doors were opened for me to go deeper into this area that is so exciting for me, to better understand how international relations and the fight for human rights are essential for our future and how I can better position myself in the face of the challenges of lack of knowledge and fake news. This has certainly transformed my daily life."

  
  

• Carlos Henrique Alves:

  "Participating in an international course has greatly enriched my knowledge."

  
  

• Dane Marcos Avanzi:

  "Professionally it had no impact. But for the culture of law it was a rich experience, even though it was short."

  
  

• Ana Elisa Barbosa Mourão:

  "In addition to the more objective opportunity to present an academic research paper for the first time, contact with the other participants helped me understand the possible paths that exist for my professional project."

  
  

• Ana Flávia Trevizan:

  "It was very impactful! As I am at the end of my thesis and facing a mandatory process of isolation, the course was what kept me strong and reinforced the importance of my work."

  
  

• Nathalia Brito de Carvalho:

  "An international experience adds to the curriculum."

  
  

• Caroline Mignoni:

  "It broadened my view on Human Rights within the scope of International Law, areas of activity, topics so specific and at the same time unknown, but fundamental. It was the opening of a new dimension in my horizon."

• Larissa Vieira:

  "It was a unique experience. I felt very capable and strengthened for my professional work, and I also managed to make many new partnerships and friendships. It's an excellent opportunity for those who want to pursue an international career."

Overall Course Experience

Students also expressed what their overall experience of the course was like:

• Petrine do Valle:

  "Extremely rewarding and edifying. All the teachers and students on the course made a huge difference in making the experience unforgettable, an environment of great exchange and learning."

  
  

• Franziska da Silva Frisch:

  "Taking part in the Advanced Course in Human Rights and International Law in Coimbra with Professor Henrique Napoleão and our colleagues was a very important experience for my academic and personal development.

  I was able to access topics that already interested me and to discuss new topics for me, which served to reaffirm the path I intend to follow in my life. I am very grateful for the experience and I recommend that everyone who is passionate about international law and human rights take part in future editions of the course because it was the best experience I have had on these subjects!"

  
  

• Yago Ferreira Freire:

  "The experience was positive! Especially because of the opportunity to immerse myself in an environment with other professionals and academics who are committed to the study of International Law and Human Rights, and to exchange ideas with people who had different backgrounds and perspectives on Human Rights, in addition to classes that presented complex topics in a simple way that I had not had access to in any other university or course I had attended before."

  
  

• Estéfany Rocha Monteiro:

  "My experience on the course was excellent. Professor Henrique coordinated the course impeccably together with colleagues from the Facts and Norms Institute. The proposal was fully fulfilled, with very interesting presentations by the students and very important lectures taking place every day. I learned a lot during the week of the course, reviewed important concepts in human rights and left transformed and with a new perspective on human rights and international law."

  
  

• Edson Nunes da Silva Júnior:

  "Enriching. Each lecture attended brought knowledge that went far beyond any investment made, with the excellent bonus of presentations made by colleagues who added a lot to the experience."

  
  

• Carlos Henrique Alves:

  "Innovative! Human Rights, as presented, changed my way of understanding the subject."

  
  

• Dane Marcos Avanzi:

  "It was satisfactory"

  
  

• Ana Elisa Barbosa Mourão:

  "The experience was sensational. In addition to learning a lot, the contact I made with the other participants was incredible."

  
  

• Ana Flávia Trevizan:

  "There were many lessons learned and a different immersion in human rights."

  
  

• Nathalia Brito de Carvalho:

  "Very rich."

  
  

• Caroline Mignoni:

  "Unforgettable! Enriching."

  
  

• Larissa Vieira:

  "A interesting and very important experience! I wish I had had the opportunity to participate sooner!"

  
  

Final words

Beyond the transformative individual impact highlighted by the students, the evaluations reveal the importance of a comprehensive and interactive approach to teaching human rights. Participants valued the diversity of contemporary themes addressed, such as corruption, artificial intelligence, and inclusion, as well as the opportunity for networking and exchanging experiences with professionals from different perspectives. The evaluations also provided valuable insights for future editions.

The FNI team thanks all participants for their dedication and valuable feedback, and is pleased to contribute to the formation of a new generation of jurists and internationalists committed to the ideals of justice, peace, and human rights.

---

From January 7th to 10th, 2025, FNI will hold the second edition of the course!

We are now accepting applications!

Check out all the details at: www.factsandnorms.com/curso