The Teaching Business and Human Rights Forum is a platform for collaboration among individuals teaching business and human rights worldwide. The Forum seeks to promote and strengthen business and human rights education by fostering collaboration among teachers. The Forum grew out of a workshop in May 2011 at Columbia University (New York) that convened twenty professors from the United States and the UK to share teaching strategies and resources. The Forum has since grown to include more than 350 members teaching business and human rights at more than 200 institutions in 45 countries on five continents.
Participation in the Forum is free and open to any individual teaching, or preparing to teach, the subject in some form, irrespective of faculty, institution or location. The Forum has been particularly important both for professors trying to make the case to their university departments for creating new courses on the subject, and to aid the professional development of individuals who already teach the subject. The Forum is primarily for individuals who teach business and human rights at an academic institution. Others with a specific interest in business and human rights education may join the Forum as affiliates. Full access to Forum resources is reserved for individuals teaching business and human rights.
The Forum is led by three Co-Directors, Tricia Olsen, Rachel Chambers, Samentha Goethals, and a Governance Committee.
The Teaching Forum was founded by Joanne Bauer, Adjunct Professor of International Affairs, Columbia University and Anthony Ewing, Lecturer, Columbia School of Law.