We embrace a dual mission: to educate students and the next generation of leaders from around the world in human rights policy and practice; and to convene and provide policy-relevant knowledge to international organizations, governments, policymakers, and businesses.
Coming July 4, 2026
Self-Evident Truths
The 250-Year Pursuit of Human Rights in the United States of America
A special collection of essays from Harvard scholars examining the ideas, achievements, and ongoing evolution of human rights in America 250 years after the Declaration of Independence.
Recent Publications
Leading Adaptively, Leading Ethically, in a Nutshell
Mathias Risse
Leading Adaptively, Leading Ethically
Mathias Risse
“The Carr-Ryan Center is building a bridge between ideas on human rights and the practice on the ground—and right now we’re at a critical juncture around the world.”
Justice Matters Podcast
The Ethics of AI
Former OpenAI researcher Zoë Hitzig discusses her decision to leave the company over ethical concerns about its emerging advertising strategy.
The Rebirth of White Rage
Heather Ann Thompson- Pulitzer Prize winning author and Professor of History at the University of Michigan - about her new book “Fear and Fury: The Reagan Eighties, the Bernie Goetz Shootings, and the Rebirth of White Rage”.
The Art of Mediation
Neha Sanghrajka, Kenyan negotiator, mediator, and scholar, discusses working alongside Kofi Annan during Kenya's 2007 post-election crisis to serving as a key architect of the landmark 2019 Maputo Accord that ended decades of conflict in Mozambique.
Inside Physicians for Human Rights Israel
Tirza Leibowitz, Deputy Director of Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI), discusses the organization's decades of work providing medical services in Israel-Palestine.
Read our latest publications
Discover recent research and publications from our fellows and faculty.
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