Description
We are most happy to invite you to an online workshop on university procurement and human rights co-organized by Olga Martin-Ortega, a longstanding expert on public procurement and human rights and Wouter Vandenhole, researching universities as an emerging human rights duty-bearer.
Universities are not only key players in teaching and knowledge production; they are also important economic actors. In that capacity, they undertake corporate activities, including investment and procurement (internal operations and supply chains). In this workshop, we focus on procurement. Universities have a human rights responsibility to make their procurement human rights proof. Universities are emerging human rights duty-bearers. They must therefore assume human rights responsibility, be it in light of their moral responsibility to respect human rights or their legal obligations to respect, protect and fulfil human rights in their sphere of influence.
In this online workshop, we seek to learn from the responsible procurement experiences in the context of modern slavery legislation and to better understand what could be transferred to other parts of the world, and to continental Europe in particular. What are best practices, which pitfalls could be avoided?
Scholarship on university procurement and human rights is rich, but often focused on Australia, Canada and the UK – three countries with modern slavery legislation that applies to universities. Continental Europe is lagging behind.
The workshop will unfold in three rounds of exchange and discussion: first, it will explore the importance of building an institutional culture of transparency and disclosure, as a precursor to a due diligence process and a sense of obligations. Second, it will look at human rights due diligence in the procurement process. Third, it seeks to clarify the responsibilities of universities in public procurement from a human rights perspective.
Each round will be kicked off with some short introductions by public procurement practitioners and scholars and followed by plenary discussion.
About the workshop conveners
Olga Martin-Ortega is Professor of International Law and Senior Research Associate Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London (UK). She leads the independent research group Business, Human Rights and the Environment (www.bhre.org). She is also Senior Advisor on Remedy in Global Supply Chains at Electronics Watch. She has been a Member of the Board of Trustees of Electronics Watch and the Corporate Justice Coalition (UK). Her research focuses on business and human rights, public procurement and human rights and forced labour in global supply chains. Her TEDx Talk (2022) is titled: Changing the World one Tender at a Time: Public Procurement and Human Rights (2022).
Wouter Vandenhole is a full professor at the Law and Development Research Group of the University of Antwerp, where he teaches human rights, children’s rights and equality law. Wouter self-identifies as a critical human rights and law-and-development scholar. His research interests include children's rights, economic, social and cultural rights, the relationship between human rights law and sustainable development, and thick(er) human rights accountability. During his research leave in 2025-2026 he focuses on universities as emerging human rights duty-bearers.
Practical details
When: 12 June 2026, 12-14 CET
Participation is free, but registration is required. A meeting link will be sent upon registration.
Please register by 10 June 2026. For more information, please contact wouter.vandenhole@uantwerpen.be