Human Rights Institute
Dr. Adara Goldberg, Executive Director
Human Rights Institute
Location: L206
Telephone (908) 737-4660
Email: agoldber@kean.edu
Website: https://www.kean.edu/offices/human-rights-institute
As a public university, Kean has a responsibility to serve as a forum for informed dialogue on contemporary and historical social justice issues and to prepare students and community members to engage meaningfully with the challenges facing our world. The Human Rights Institute (HRI) was established to fulfill this obligation by advancing education, awareness, and action around human rights at the local, national, and global levels.
The HRI is dedicated to shining a light on human rights issues and violations across the globe while fostering critical inquiry, empathy, and civic responsibility. Through its interdisciplinary approach, the Institute encourages students, faculty, and community partners to examine the social, political, economic, and cultural conditions that shape human rights outcomes. At the same time, the HRI seeks to inspire the next generation of advocates, scholars, and leaders to work toward a more just, equitable, and peaceful world.
Grounded in the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and aligned with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the HRI's mission promotes human dignity, respect for diversity, and a shared sense of global responsibility, while connecting academic learning to real-world challenges and solutions.
The HRI convenes campus-wide and community-based programming such as Human Rights Week and hosts its annual, internationally recognized Human Rights Conference, which provides a platform for dialogue, scholarship, and collaboration among students, educators, policymakers, and advocates from around the world. Through these initiatives, the Institute builds community, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration, and creates opportunities for learning that extend beyond the classroom. The Human Rights Institute Gallery further extends this work by hosting rotating exhibits that explore human rights themes through visual culture and storytelling.
Together, these efforts position the Human Rights Institute at Kean University as a center of excellence dedicated to advancing human dignity, deepening public understanding of human rights, and empowering individuals to contribute thoughtfully and effectively to a more just and harmonious future.