The Transformative Potential of an Internationalised Human Rights Law Curriculum

Abstract

The increased interconnectedness of the world has resulted in the growing significance of relations between nations. This has caused universities to infuse the curriculum with international content. The absence of appropriate pedagogies is not likely to foster social and personal transformation to equip students with the necessary knowledge and motivation to respond to complex global issues concerning human rights and social justice. A social transformation model of internationalisation suggests that there is a need to reform the legal curriculum to foster individual and social transformation. Highlighting the centrality of critical reflection, dialogue and experiential learning and drawing on the literature of transformative learning and internationalisation, this article discusses how educators of human rights legal education can utilise the process of internationalisation to foster personal and social transformation. The suggestions outlined in this article are equally of significance to all legal educators desiring to implement emancipatory perspectives in legal education.