Mission

The Institute for Human Rights at UAB serves as an internationally renowned platform for interdisciplinary interaction and collaboration for scholars, educators, students, practitioners, and activists to raise awareness, engage in education, foster research, and design initiatives for practical action and outreach resulting in the promotion and protection of human and civil rights locally, nationally, and globally.

Our vision is to prepare, transform, and support the leaders of the global human rights community by creating innovative educational programs, research initiatives, and outreach solutions.

Ambassador Andrew Young: "Birmingham was the cradle of the nonviolent movement for human rights." (UAB, August 30, 2013)

History

The Institute for Human Rights was initiated by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences along with key faculty members in 2014 to provide a framework for Birmingham’s human and civil rights activities and to connect the city's historical significance in the struggle for civil rights to national and international collaborative initiatives. The IHR was established in 2014 and is part of the College of Arts and Sciences.

DEI Statement

Collaboration, integrity, respect and excellence are shared values of our institution and are the core of what it means to be a UAB community member. And a key foundation at UAB is diversity, equity, and inclusion. At UAB, everybody counts every day. UAB is committed to fostering a diverse, respectful, and inclusive campus environment that values all community members regardless of background and embraces individual differences. UAB values and cultivates equity, diversity, and inclusion in our research, learning, clinical and work environments. Our students, faculty, and staff add diversity to our community through life experiences, perspectives and viewpoints that are enriching for the learning and work environment and are reflective of the students and communities we serve. Because UAB serves a diverse population, ODEI, along with the Institute for Human Rights initiatives, aims to create an inclusive environment for all UAB faculty, staff, students, and patients through education, training, and awareness programs.