Event Details
Date: 6 May 2026
Time: 4:00 PM
Venue: Istanbul University Rectorate, Doctorate Hall
About WOLAS Talks
The WOLAS Talks – International Law Practice (ILP) Series is a multi-stage discussion programme, conducted in both Turkish and English, that brings together leading figures in the field of human rights law and advocacy with students at Türkiye’s leading universities.
The programme aims to go beyond the theoretical boundaries of legal education and to introduce students to the global ecosystem of human rights advocacy. Each session is moderated by an experienced practitioner, and the first phase of the series is being held at Bahçeşehir University, Marmara University, Istanbul University, and Boğaziçi University.
About the Session
In this session, we bring together Istanbul University students with Susan Akram, a leading practitioner known for her advocacy experience before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IAHCHR).
While international human rights law is often approached through European-based mechanisms—most notably the European Court of Human Rights—access to knowledge and practical insight regarding human rights mechanisms specific to the Americas remains relatively limited. This session seeks to address that gap by offering a rare first-hand perspective.
Having built much of her career around these mechanisms and gained direct experience within the IAHCHR, Susan Akram will provide unique insights into the functioning of the system. The session will explore her work within the IAHCHR, her involvement in amicus curiae processes, and her role in advocating for the legal rights of Palestinian refugees in the Americas.
Participants will have the opportunity to engage with practical advocacy experiences and field-based insights that are rarely accessible through academic literature. The session will conclude with a Q&A segment.
Speaker
Susan Akram
Prof. Susan Akram directs the International Human Rights Clinic at Boston University School of Law, where she supervises students engaged in international advocacy before national courts, international and regional bodies, and United Nations platforms.
She teaches and has taught courses in International Human Rights, Refugee and Migration Law, U.S. Immigration Law, and Palestinian Refugees in International Law. Her research and publications focus on immigration, asylum, refugee law, forced displacement, and human and civil rights, with a particular emphasis on the Middle East, the Arab world, and Muslim communities.
Her book projects include Still Waiting for Tomorrow: The Law and Politics of Unresolved Refugee Crises (with Tom Syring) and International Law and the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Rights-Based Approach to Middle East Peace (with Mick Dumper, Michael Lynk, and Ian Scobbie).
She has also taught at the American University in Cairo and at Al-Quds and Birzeit Universities in Palestine. She regularly teaches refugee law at the Refugee Studies Centre Summer School at the University of Oxford and at various academic platforms across the Middle East.
Moderator
Hasan Basri Bülbül
After graduating from Istanbul University Faculty of Law in 2013, Hasan Basri Bülbül completed his LL.M. (2016) and Ph.D. (2022) at King’s College London. He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Public International Law at Boğaziçi University Faculty of Law.
His areas of expertise include international law, refugee and migration law, human rights law, and international criminal law.
In addition to his academic work, Bülbül has been actively involved in civil society. He previously served as Head of External Relations at the International Refugee Rights Association and currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Worldwide Lawyers Association (WOLAS), where he continues to engage in legal advocacy for vulnerable groups facing persecution.
The language of the programme is English.
🔗 To participate, please complete the application form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeXEPSzfHN3-kc3tG8FRAk-lSCq1EV_b8IZ-HNo824mKcjH9w/viewform
