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Freedom of Expression in the Age of Globalization

Key information
University Columbia University
Type Online Course
Language English
Duration 25 hours
Application deadline(s) Start anytime
Registration Go to class

Freedom of Expression is at the heart of many global controversies and challenges. Learn about the scope, limits and abuses of this fundamental human right.

In a world where news is shared freely online as it unfolds, the nature of journalism and self-expression are changing. Freedom of Expression in the Age of Globalization examines freedom of expression and information under the lens of our modern world, defining what it means from a legal standpoint.

The course covers the protections in place to defend this basic human right and how censorship and other restrictions on expression may be tested for their legal merit. Both the Internet and online expression are covered in the course and what threats to freedom of expression and information remain in our globalized world.

Freedom of Expression in the Age of Globalization is taught by Dr. Agnès Callamard, the former Director of Global Freedom of Expression at Columbia University and current Secretary General of Amnesty International, and was developed with the help of journalists and activists fighting for freedom of the press and human rights around the world. The course lasts for 5-12 weeks and requires 4 to 6 hours of time per week for successful completion. Video transcripts are provided for later review of the course material.

While the course is free, those who finish the entire class can purchase a Verified Certificate to prove that they participated if they wish. Considered an intermediate level college course of study, the distance education class assumes that students have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of human rights law. Those with a background in law, journalism and human rights are likely to find the class to be most useful.

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