Its commitments and achievements

Realizing that human rights and fundamental freedoms are key principles for ASEAN community-building, the ASEAN University Network–Human Rights Education theme (AUN-HRE) was formally established in 2009 by the ASEAN University Network Board of Trustees to promote education and research opportunities in the area of human rights, serve as a platform for collaboration and capacity-building amongst member institutions to strengthen existing cooperation and enhance human rights education in the ASEAN region.

Mahidol University was appointed as the focal point for the theme. The Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies has been assigned to coordinate the network and implement relevant activities in cooperation with its members.

AUN Human Rights Education (AUN-HRE) is a network of academic collaboration among 30 AUN Member Universities including 2 associate members to promote education and research in human rights/peace in ASEAN/Southeast Asia.

It main objectives include:

AUN-HRE in collaboration with the Southeast Asian Human Rights Studies Network (SEAHRN) jointly initiated and runs human rights education project under SHAPE-SEA (Strengthening Human Rights and Peace Research and Education in ASEAN/Southeast Asia). The overarching objective is to contribute to the improvement of human rights and peace situation in Southeast Asia through applied research and education. The strategy of the program is to directly involve and engage universities to play a more significant role in promoting human rights and peace by contributing research and by increasing the knowledge of human rights and peace by incorporating them into university education.

Activities and achievements

Committed to inculcating human rights and peace culture in ASEAN/Southeast Asia, the AUN-HRE has been running various activities, including:

• Organisation of AUN-HRE Annual Regional lecturers’ workshop on teaching human rights aiming to train university lecturers;
  
• Production of the groundbreaking Textbooks on human rights in Southeast Asia produced by Southeast Asian scholars. So far, three volumes comprised of 23 chapters covering a wide range of issues critical to the region. A teaching manual was developed to complement the Textbooks. The fourth volume focusing on peace and conflict transformation is underway;
• Online courses: Based on the Textbooks, online courses had been developed and made available to the public;
  
• Policy advocacy: To ensure that human rights and peace education is supported by ASEAN higher education institutions and ASEAN relevant entities, AUN-HRE has been doing policy advocacy throughout the region;
• An ASEAN regional collaborative graduate program in human rights and peace. One of the outcomes which already enjoyed support of ASEAN Senior Officials of Education Meeting is the development of an ASEAN regional collaborative graduate program in human rights which, once established, will be the first ever in the region;
• Regional network meeting which collaborates beyond ASEAN region;
• Student engagement.

AUN-HRE strives to place human rights and peace high in educational and research agenda of not only partner universities but also of the governments and other stakeholders. The AUN-HRE’s vision is to see a Southeast Asian where the culture and values of human rights, peace and democracy are instilled through widespread research and teaching in higher education. We believe that building regional cooperation on human rights and peace in higher education would contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights and sustainable peace for all peoples in ASEAN/Southeast Asia. We also believe that the various forms of threats to human rights and peace cannot be effectively addressed unless there are highly skilled network of experts and evidence-based knowledge in the Region.
AUN-HRE members and association

AUN-HRE Network

Brunei

•  Universiti Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

• Royal University of Phnom Penh
•  Royal University of Law and Economics

Indonesia

• Universitas Indonesia
• Universitas Gadjah Mad
• Institut Teknologi Bandung
• Universitas Airlangga

Laos

• National University of Laos

Malaysia

• Universiti Malaya
• Universiti Sains Malaysia
• Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
• Universiti Putra Malaysia
• Universiti Utara Malaysia

Myanmar

• University of Yangon
• Yangon Institute of Economics
• University of Mandalay

Philippines

• Ateneo de Manila University
• University of the Philippines
• De La Salle University

Singapore

• National University of Singapore
• Nanyang Technological University
• Singapore Management University

Thailand

• Burapha University
• Chulalongkorn University
• Mahidol University
• Chiang Mai University
• Prince of Songkla University

Vietnam

• Vietnam National University, Hanoi
• Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh
• Can Tho University

Associate members

• Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Malaysia
• Osaka City University, Japan

Contact Information
Chair/Convener:	Dr. Sriprapha Petcharamesree
Manager:	Sunsanee Sutthisunsanee <education.shapesea@gmail.com>
Secretariat:	Institute of Human Rights and Peace (IHRP) Studies, Mahidol University, Thailand.
Contact:	sripraphapet@gmail.com, education.shapesea@gmail.com
Website:	https://www.shapesea.com

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• ASEAN University Network – Human Rights Education (AUN-HRE) – pdf