Democratic Practice
Open Society and Democracy explores the principles, progress, and challenges of open society and democracy at a time of authoritarian resurgence. OSUN’s programs examine what makes an open society, how open society is weakened in today’s world, and how to advance open society in the face of contemporary challenges.
Sustainability
Sustainability is a defining challenge of our age, as the ambitions of human enterprise continue on a collision course with planetary life support systems. OSUN provides a distinctive combination of: interdisciplinary study across environmental, social, economic, and governance dimensions; rigorous scientific inquiry; emphasis on sustainability as a decision and leadership challenge; explicit solutions orientation; and truly global perspectives.
Inequality
Inequalities of multiple types characterize the contemporary world. OSUN’s programs explore the causes and consequences of inequalities within and between societies, including national and global disparities in income and wealth, social and political dimensions of inequality, and various forms of inequality related to gender, race, ethnicity, and forced displacement.
Human Rights
Human rights are under assault around the world. OSUN deepens the theoretical interdisciplinary knowledge and strengthens the skills for empirical analysis to defend and advance human rights. It interweaves the study of human rights law, politics, and advocacy with a focus on the power of aesthetic, performative, and curatorial forms in human rights struggles.
Arts and Open Society
Arts and Society promotes expression of contemporary life, including dissent, difference, and the full power of the human imagination. OSUN programs promote cross-cultural study and presentation of work in fields ranging from poetry to film, photography, and dance and connect the arts to politics and society, including freedom of expression and struggles against oppressive regimes.