Teaching Health and Human Rights in a Globalised Classroom

This article outlines the importance of human rights in the health law curriculum. The author reflects on her experiences of teaching Health and Human Rights at the Faculty of Law, University of Copenhagen. Health and human rights, it is argued, can have important implications for students' understanding of health and the role of law. Namely, it underscores the obligations of states and the rights of individuals, as well as the need for health laws and policies to respect rights. This approach prohibits health laws that discriminate or stigmatise. Furthermore, it is put forth that the growing body of socioeconomic rights jurisprudence should be integrated into teaching. Equally, students should be prepared for the needs of the modern labour market: interdisciplinarity and digitalisation, and to assess the human rights implications. Finally, educators must acknowledge and discuss the limitations of rights so that students are equipped to address and solve challenges.