Fostering Human Rights
Born in Kuwait in 1984 and displaced by the Gulf War, Zohaib Rasheed ’08 ’11 resettled with his family in Connecticut when he was 13 years old. Rasheed was “ecstatic” to attend UConn, and honored to be selected as a University Scholar—UConn’s highest commendation.
“At UConn, I found my academic passions: philosophy, political science and human rights,” says Rasheed.
Rasheed distinguished himself as a student leader and an active service volunteer. His accomplishments earned him the reputable, privately funded Richard Goldstone Internship, which sent him to the Netherlands to work at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia at The Hague. Rasheed’s role was to research the hierarchy of power brokers accused of crimes against humanity during the wars in the former Yugoslavia.
“The experience shaped my life and my future. It was one of the best opportunities I’ve ever had,” says Rasheed.
UConn is home to one of the country’s leading human rights teaching and research programs. With a multidisciplinary focus, the Human Rights Institute and affiliated academic programming advance research and global outreach and further a dialog that promotes justice throughout the world. As part of the academic plan, UConn aims to weave topics into the undergraduate curricula across many disciplines to inculcate an understanding of the importance and complexity of human rights issues.
Driven by his experiences and ambition to make a difference in the fight for human rights, Rasheed is now a student at UConn’s School of Law.
“UConn has given me the confidence to pursue my interests and not be held back in any way,” Rasheed says. “My ultimate goal is to become a U.S. ambassador.”
