Each year, Strasbourg transforms into a hub for human rights dialogue. From 23 June to 19 July 2025, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) brought together a diverse group of participants from across the globe to attend the prestigious one-month human rights summer school, organized by the René Cassin Foundation – International Institute of Human Rights (IIDH) (IIDH) in Strasbourg. Scholarship holders of The FNF International Academy for Leadership (IAF) included a distinguished cohort of 13 legal practitioners and human rights defenders from 11 countries.

This year’s program began on 19 June with a three-day introductory seminar led by Dr. Salim Amin, Policy Advisor for Human Rights and the International Rule of Law in FNF’s Global Themes Division, who provided a substantive grounding in human rights theories, liberal principles, and their practical application, while also offering a comprehensive overview of FNF’s global human rights engagement. The seminar created space for participants to build a professional community among themselves and with the FNF. Through interactive discussions and collaborative exercises, they explored how international human rights mechanisms safeguard human dignity and fundamental freedoms. The introductory course not only prepared scholarship holders for the IIDH Summer School but also laid the foundation for long-term cooperation with FNF’s human rights teams by presenting the Foundation’s work, priorities, and achievements.

The seminar also benefited from the presence of high-level experts: Dr. Julia Kozma, member of the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture, and Hugh Chetwynd, Executive Secretary of the Council of Europe’s Committee for the Prevention of Torture.