The 4th Central and Eastern Europe & Central Asia Summer Academy on Business and Human Rights (Summer Academy) is a five-day-long, intensive online course delivered by globally recognised scholars and hands-on Business & Human Rights practitioners and aimed to provide the highest quality Business and Human Rights (BHR) education and training to participants from CEE and Central Asia countries.

The Summer Academy:

• provides opportunity to explore the theory and practical aspects of the polycentric governance system of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises on Responsible Business Conduct;
• enables participants to explore and deepen their understanding of the relationship between human rights and business practices;
• provides a frame of understanding of the main issues and challenges concerning the intersection of business activities and human rights, and
• equips participants with concrete skills and tools that enable them to engage effectively with various aspects of the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, including policy development and human rights due diligence, with special focus this year being given to human rights impact assessments.

The core Summer Academy consists of two complementary parts:

• 2-days of theory-focused sessions that provide condensed introduction to all 3 pillars of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) concerning the State duty to protect human rights, the corporate responsibility to respect human rights, and access to remedy for victims of corporate-related human rights abuse, as well as overview of the key regulations and current and emerging trends and challenges; and
• 3-days of practice oriented sessions and workshops focused on how the international BHR standards can be translated into everyday business practice as well as on how, in practice, States and businesses, as well as other actors across Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia are discharging their respective duties and responsibilities across the three pillars of the „Protect, Respect and Remedy” Framework of the UNGPs.

This 40-hour, taught core programme is preceded by the Self-Learning Component comprising approx. 12 hours of recordings and readings that ensure that participants enter the core programme with a minimum common understanding of the basic concepts and issues, and are able to engage fully in the live sessions.

We trust that participation in the Summer Academy will enable and empower participants to address challenges arising at the intersection of human rights and business practices more effectively, and will contribute to developing a network of business and human rights professionals in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia region to drive further change and strengthen their impact.

Who should apply?

The Summer Academy is open to individuals who:

• want to  promote the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) in their organisations and/or sectors, and
• are representatives of business, NGOs/CSOs, trade unions, public administration, or students (including PhD students) from the Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia region (see eligibility criteria below).

Benefits

Participants of the Summer Academy will:

• Acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to apply contributing to improved respect for human rights in business operations across the region.
• Receive a Certificate, upon successfully attending minimum 90% of classes and passing the final test,
• Gain the opportunity to become a member of the CEECA BHR Association.
• Learn directly from leading international scholars and practitioners, benefitting from both theoretical insights and practical, real-world case studies.
• Expand their professional network by connecting with peers, experts, and organisations active in business and human rights, both regionally and internationally.
• Get access to practical tools and resources to integrate human rights due diligence into business strategies and daily operations.
• Enhance career prospects by gaining a and hands-on experience valued by employers, international organisations, and advocacy groups worldwide.

Organisers and supporting organisations

The Central and Eastern Europe & Central Asia Summer Academy on Business and Human Rights (The Summer Academy) is organized by the Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business (PIHRB) and the Ukrainian Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University (Ukrainian: Національний юридичний університет імені Ярослава Мудрого) in partnership with the Global Business Initiative on Human Rights, and in collaboration with the UN Development Programme and the CEECA Business and Human Rights Association.

The Summer Academy 2026 is possible thanks to Sigrid Rausing Trust funding and pro-bono engagement of Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business, Ukrainian Yaroslav Mudryi National Law University and Global Business Initiative for Human Rights and others.