MyGlasgow Students

At the University of Glasgow, we nurture future world-changers. There are many ways to change the world. In this course, we explore change through public policy and creative leadership. Every field of study, whether in social sciences, science and engineering, Arts or life sciences, is shaped by public policy decisions. Understanding this process and how to shape it is therefore vital knowledge for every graduate.  Students will use real-world case studies of policy change related to the UN Sustainable Development Goals from Scotland, the UK and beyond (e.g. minimum unit pricing; windfarms; ‘Obamacare’, etc).

This course offers a taster menu of ways to do politics and invites you to engage in political action. The course will confront you with competing perspectives on political power and change, and prompt you to reconcile these perspectives and build empathy across ideological divides. The course is organised into two halves focusing on political ‘insider’ groups such as politicians, civil servants and journalists, and ‘outsider’ groups such as campaign organisations, and social and grassroots movements. Each half begins with practitioner-led workshops, which are followed by practice weeks including simulations, case studies of political actions, and campaigning tasks. For the assessments, you will work in groups to design a campaign strategy and materials and will then reflect individually on the campaign that you created.

This C4L course focuses on fundamental questions about who has the right to culture and who owns the past, revealing how issues of justice, power, and identity shape debates over the return of cultural objects, natural history, and ancestral remains. This course examines these debates through Indigenous, postcolonial, and community-centred perspectives, exploring how cultural materials were displaced through colonialism, war, and global trade, and how contemporary restitution claims intersect with cultural rights, sovereignty, and reconciliation. Students will engage with global debates on ownership, restitution, and reparative justice. Object-based learning will allow students to investigate how the histories of colonialism, imperialism, and globalisation have shaped museum collections and heritage policies. They will also explore how contemporary movements for reparative justice are challenging traditional power dynamics in the protection, preservation and ownership of cultural heritage. Through case studies, students will examine the legal frameworks, ethical dilemmas, and political negotiations involved in returning cultural objects to source communities. Drawing on cross-disciplinary perspectives, particularly those from communities and practitioners, they will be encouraged to think critically about who controls culture, whose stories are represented, and what justice means in a post-colonial world.

In this interdisciplinary course students will critically examine the social, political and economic structures that shape inequality across the globe. Through workshops, seminars and project-based learning, students will develop their critical consciousness and explore their positionality and roles as socially responsible citizens. The course engages with systems of power and privilege, encouraging learners to analyse how inequitable structures intersect with gender, race, disability, class, migration status and other dimensions of identity. Students will explore the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for advancing social justice and inclusion and will develop practical strategies to promote equity in education, community and workplace settings. This will include different contexts, for example health inequalities by examining how structural and social factors influence access to healthcare and wellbeing. Students will engage with the concept of decolonising knowledge; learning to recognise and challenge dominant narratives, value diverse knowledge systems, and apply decolonial principles to their academic and professional practice.

'Does Scotland need human rights? Mobilising for change with civil society' at a glance: 

This course is available in Semester 2, 2026. Course code: SPS1010. Credits: 10. 

Teaching begins in the week commencing Monday the 12th of January and ends on the week commencing Monday the 23rd of March, and can be taken alongside 'Making sense of problem substance abuse in Scotland' another 10 credit C4L course running in Semester 2.

What will I learn from this course?

Do you know, that in 2025, the United Nations raised 90 distinct concerns about the UK’s record on human rights? Human rights are central to our daily lives. Many people recognise their right to be respected and to receive dignifying treatment but would not understand that this was anchored in human rights. Similarly, they may have some understanding of what the United Nations do, or are familiar with UK legislation such as the Human Rights Act, but not understand what difference these structures and tools can make to everyday lives and communities. This course is designed to consider how Scotland can get back on track. More than telling you what I know, I will share what I do, building relationships with civil society to help communities name and claim their rights. I aim to help you develop a broader perspective and critical understanding of rights issues, to cultivate your appreciation of various viewpoints and responsibilities as global and local citizens, and to develop your problem-solving ability through lectures and discussion of the key human rights issues.

How will I be assessed on this course?

What unique learning experiences will I have on this course?

You will work in teams to identify a challenge that falls within the themes of human rights, and challenging poverty in Scotland. You will be encouraged to consider your role within the challenge, drawing on broader disciplinary content and or skills. In week 2 each team will submit a 200-word outline of their challenge as a formative assessment. Strong examples will be shared with the entire class with the permission of team members. General formative feedback will also be provided to help students steer their team towards articulation of a challenge that links to human rights and poverty.   

The first summative assignment is produced individually, drawing on team discussions. Each student submits a poster, with a word count of around 500 words plus images. The poster should articulate the group’s shared challenge and outline the student (and by extension their discipline’s) contribution to shaping the problem and imagining solutions.   

The second summative assignment is submitted at the same time. Reflexive engagement focusing on either: team-working (including barriers experienced); building an interdisciplinary solution; opportunities working with civil society. The reflexive piece should also be 500 words.

What kind of partners will I work with on this course? 

Making Rights Real was founded in 2020 and works with communities towards rights realisation. The Director, Clare McGillivray will join us for discussion on how we build sustainable relationships, speak truth to power and change the world. We also hope to draw on the expertise of colleagues at the Scottish Human Rights Commission, globally recognised for their excellence.  

Who is the course leader?

Professor Jo Edson Ferrie is leading this course.

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