About the Center

The Center for Human Rights Studies was established in 2001 as a research institute affiliated to the Faculty of Law and Political Science of the University of Tehran. The main objective of the Center is to raise awareness and understanding about Human Rights through educational and research activities. The Center provides advice and expertise on Human Rights to Governmental and Non-Governmental Organizations, and cooperates with them in the management of various educational projects. Since the establishment of a Master’s program in Human Rights at the Faculty of Law and Political Science of the University of Tehran, the Center has also served as an academic information center for students enrolled in this program.

The Center has the following three departments:

1. International Human Rights Studies
2. Human Rights from Islamic Perspectives Studies
3. NGOs Studies

The Center conducted a four year cluster project in 1999, titled “Strengthening Capacities for Human Rights Training and Research in Iran”, a joint project between Islamic Republic of Iran and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). Furthermore, UNDP initiated another five year project titled “National Capacity Building for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights for Greater Access to Justice”, with the collaboration of seven national partners in which the Center acted as the lead agency. The Center holds the Human Rights Information Center including a specialized library and a computer lab.