An initiative of the Oslo Freedom Forum, the Oslo Scholars Program seeks to offer undergraduate students who have a demonstrated interest in human rights and international political issues an opportunity to attend the Oslo Freedom Forum and spend their summer working with some of the world’s leading human rights defenders and activists.
The Forum, now in its third year, provides students with invaluable networking and learning opportunities, and the chance to plan their summer internships with their host speakers. In 2011, the Oslo Scholars Program organized internships with Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, Justine Hardy, and Vincent Manoharan, each of whom hosted Oslo Scholars from Tufts University for the summer, engaging the Scholars in their inspiring work in the defense and promotion of human rights across the world.
The Oslo Scholars Program was established in 2010 by the Oslo Freedom Forum and the Institute for Global Leadership at Tufts University, as the Oslo Freedom Forum presented an ideal platform to engage new generations of human rights defenders and scholars.
In 2010, the incipient Oslo Scholars Program sent three students to the Oslo Freedom Forum, where they assisted in Forum translation and social media outreach. This inaugural group also designed the first Oslo Scholars Program internship, with 2010 OFF speaker Mukhtar Mai of Pakistan.
Based on the success of this first internship and the student delegation to the Forum, the Oslo Scholars Program has since expanded, offering three internships over the summer of 2011, four over the summer of 2012, and additionally expanding to McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The Oslo Scholars Program, an initiative of the Oslo Freedom Forum, seeks to offer undergraduate students who have a demonstrated interest in human rights and international political issues an opportunity to attend the Oslo Freedom Forum and work with some of the world’s leading human rights defenders and activists in summer internships. The Forum itself provides students with invaluable networking and learning opportunities, as well as the chance to engage with those with whom they will be working over the summer. Scholars have the chance to meet and interview Nobel Laureates, former and current heads of state, and other prominent human rights activists from around the world.
Internship opportunities vary from year to year based on the Oslo Freedom Forum speakers who elect to participate in the program.
In partnership with universities in the United States and Canada, Oslo Scholars Program coordinators select students based on their demonstrated interest in human rights, language abilities, and long-term career and professional goals. The Oslo Scholars act as bloggers and social media agents at the Oslo Freedom Forum and are responsible for keeping an active blog over the course of their internships.
