The Dhaka University (DU) and Geneva-based international non-governmental organisation UPR Info have signed a partnership agreement to strengthen cooperation in human rights education, leadership development and capacity building for university students and faculty members.
The agreement was signed virtually at a ceremony held at the vice-chancellor’s meeting room at DU on Wednesday, with Vice-Chancellor Prof ABM Obaidul Islam attending as the chief guest.
DU Treasurer Prof M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury and UPR Info Executive Director Mona M’Bikay signed the agreement on behalf of their respective institutions.
Prof Kazi Mohammad Mahbobor Rahman, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and Prof Sayed Saikh Imtiaz, lead of the Design Thinking, Transdisciplinary Innovation and Gender Lab (DIGLab) at the Department of Women and Gender Studies, were also present.
Under the partnership, the two institutions will jointly develop, organise, implement and evaluate a Bangladesh Model Universal Periodic Review (Model UPR), giving students practical experience of international human rights mechanisms.
The initiative aims to build students’ skills in human rights analysis, public speaking, negotiation, diplomacy, critical thinking and constructive dialogue. It will also help participants understand international accountability mechanisms, particularly the United Nations Universal Periodic Review process.
UPR Info will provide technical assistance and capacity-building support, including preparatory training and training-of-trainers programmes for selected student organisers and facilitators.
The partnership will also encourage collaboration among students, academics, civil society organisations, human rights institutions and other national and international stakeholders.
DIGLab, UNYSAB to lead implementation
The Design Thinking, Transdisciplinary Innovation and Gender Lab (DIGLab), under DU’s Department of Women and Gender Studies, will lead the implementation of the initiative in collaboration with the UN Youth and Students Association of Bangladesh (UNYSAB).
DIGLab will contribute expertise in participatory learning, design thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative approaches to human rights education. UNYSAB will help mobilise participants, coordinate student volunteers, facilitate training and organise the Model UPR simulation.
TIMES of Bangladesh will serve as the media partner, supporting media engagement, public outreach and the dissemination of the initiative’s activities and outcomes.
Bangladesh Model UPR set for November
A key component of the partnership will be the Bangladesh Model Universal Periodic Review 2026, proposed to be held at the Dhaka University from 13 to 15 November.
The three-day programme will allow students to simulate the UN’s Universal Periodic Review process, examine human rights situations, develop evidence-based recommendations and participate in dialogue and negotiations.
Participants are expected to gain practical experience in research, policy analysis, public speaking, consensus-building and international human rights procedures.
The initiative also aims to prepare students for future careers and engagement in international organisations, public administration, diplomacy, civil society, research and human rights institutions.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof ABM Obaidul Islam thanked UPR Info for establishing the partnership with the university.
He expressed hope that the collaboration would support students’ academic and professional development while advancing the university’s internationalisation agenda and performance in global university rankings.
The partnership is expected to expand international academic cooperation and create opportunities for Bangladeshi students to engage with global human rights institutions and processes.
