Teaching Freedom of Information
This page contains information on FOI courses taught at various universities around the world, including clinical courses. The main source of the page is information supplied by members of FOI Advocates.
As the list of courses is not comprehensive, we will continue to update it and also welcome your input in it.
UNIVERSITY FOI CLINICS AND COURSES
10 FOI Clinics in 9 Countries [1]
30 FOI & Information Policy Courses at Universities in 19 Countries
12 Constitutional and Administrative Law Courses in 5 Countries
7 Media and Journalism Courses in 4 Countries
5 Courses on Anti-Corruption & Good Governance in 3 Countries
FOI Clinics
Argentina
Name of the University and Faculty: The University of Palermo, Law School
Name of the Clinic/Course: Legal Clinic Access to Public Information
Contact Info: Eduardo Andrés Bertoni, eberto2@palermo.edu, and Natalia Torres
Number of Semesters/Hours: 1 semester
Years When taught: 2011
Course Description: The course introduces the concept of right to information and considers its implications for human rights. Students work on real cases under the supervision of teachers. They discuss substantive law relevant to each case. Each semester is structured so that each group of students completed at least one major written work, which may consist of a lawsuit, an appeal, an administrative note, a brief as amicus curiae, the research work required for case, etc.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Name of the University and Faculty: The University of Palermo, Law School
Name of the Clinic/Course: Legal Clinic about the Right to Access Public Information
Contact Info: Maria Julia Giorgelli, mjgiorgelli@adc.org.ar, www.palermo.edu
Number of Semesters/Hours: 1 semester
Years When taught: 2008-2010
Course Description: In September 2008 the Open Society Justice Initiative in partnership with Association for Civil Rights launched a freedom of information clinic at the University of Palermo. It was an accredited one semester course that combined theoretical classes with practical work through a cooperation with selected NGOs. The course ran between 2008 and 2010 and in 2011 was replaced by a similar course taught by Eduardo Bertoni (see above).
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Chile
Name of the University and Faculty: Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Law Faculty
Name of the Clinic/Course: Access to Information Clinic
Contact Info: Macarena Rodriguez, mrodrigu@uahurtado.cl
Number of Semesters/Hours: 2 semesters
Years When taught: From 2009
Course Description: The clinic started in April 2009 as a cooperation between Universidad Alberto Hurtado, and Asociación Pro Acceso with the support of the Open Society Justice Initiative. The clinical course is accredit and consists of 2 semesters. The course contains a theoretical as well as a practical component.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Dominican Republic
Name of the University and Faculty: Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE)
Name of the Clinic/Course: Human Rights Clinic
Contact Info: Clinic Coordinator - Paola Pelletier, p.pelletier@unibe.edu.do
Number of Semesters/Hours: 1 semester
Number of Credits: 3
Years When taught: 2010-2011
Course Description: Law students are exposed to the practice of law through a variety of cases in which students provide legal advice in various human rights matters to vulnerable and underrepresented groups. In particular, the clinic is working on the following topics: Discrimination (gender, HIV/AIDS, LGTB, ethnicity, race, age, migratory status, disabilities, etc.) and freedom of information. Freedom of information component was incorporated in the clinic with the support of Open Society Justice Initiative.
The Human Rights Clinic combines a series of lawyering skills trainings, focusing on issues of client interviewing, legal analysis, legal writing, communication skills, and legal research skills. Each student is working with a fellow student and conducting regular seminar meetings with their supervising teacher about the cases they provide advice on.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Hungary
Name of the University and Faculty: Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Law
Name of the Clinic/Course: Freedom of Information Clinic
Contact info: Erik Uszkiewicz, uszerik@gmail.com, www.elteajkjogklinika.com
Number of Semesters/Hours: 2 semesters
Years When taught: From 2008
Course Description: The legal clinic was launched in September 2008 as a cooperation between the Eötvös Loránd University and Open Society Justice Initiative, as well as the engagement of four Hungarian freedom of information and environmental protection NGOs. It is an accredited 2 semester course which consists of two stages. The course starts with theoretical classes the aim of which is to familiarize students with basic knowledge, laws and legal practice related to freedom of information. For the second stage, students carry out internship tasks at the NGOs participating in the program.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Israel
Name of the University and Faculty: College of Management Academic Studies Division
Name of the Clinic/Course: FOI Law and Practice
Contact Info: Roy Peled, rpeled@colman.ac.il
Number of Semesters/Hours: 2 semesters
Years when taught: From 2005
Course Description: The FOI clinic was launched in 2005. Duration of the clinic is 12 months, with weekly study sessions during 2 semesters, but practical work going on from October - October the following year. The clinic is located on campus, but the offices of the Movement for Freedom of Information off campus are also used. Legal advice and counseling, legal representation before authorities or courts of law, human rights/law awareness education, strategic litigation, and litigation support are activities covered by the clinic. The clinic serves an average of 20 to 40 clients a year.
Japan
Name of the University and Faculty: Omiya law School
Name of the Clinic/Course: Information Disclosure Clinic
Contact Info: Takashi Kondo; Lawrence Repeta; repeta@omiyalaw.ac.jp
Number of Semesters/Hours: One semester course; offered every semester
Years When Taught: launched in 2006
Course Description: This clinic provides students with a practical understanding of Japan's information disclosure laws gained through hands-on experience using those laws to obtain information from national and local governments. All students are required to file information requests with government agencies and to make presentations to regular group meetings concerning the progress of their requests. Instructors teach FOI law fundamentals and provide guidance on practice, including administrative appeals. The clinic also advises and represents outside clients pursuing government information requests. Students join attorney meetings concerning cases in litigation and other special projects.
N.B. The syllabus available upon request.
Mexico
Name of the University and Faculty: Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo De Mexico
Contact Info: Marta Villareal
Years when taught: 2008, 2009
Course Description: FOI is in included in the framework of the clinics. In 2008 Students submitted and followed up FOI request on the issue of the presidential system. As for 2009, they submit requests to test how different requestors are treated and also they support an environmental case, where there is suspicion of corruption.
Name of the University and Faculty: Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas
Contact Info: Guadalupe Barrrena
Course Description: CIDE uses FOI in many occasions during the clinics also for the study on torture.
Peru
Name of the University and Faculty: Universidad Señor de Sipán, the Department of law in collaboration with the Department of Communication
Name of the course: Transparency and Access to Public Information Legal Clinic
Contact Info: Levy Davila, levydavila@hotmail.com, Luis Rolando Alarcon, luisalarconll@gmail.com
Number of Semesters/Hours: 2 Semesters
Years When Taught: 2009 -2010
Course Description: Launched in Universidad Señor del Sipan jointly with Instituto Prensa y Sociedad and Open Society Justice Intiative in April 2009. It is an accredited 2 semester course, which consists of theoretical and practical components. Within the practical component, the students of the clinic appeal the unanswered information requests submitted by the students of the Department of Communication.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
United States
Name of the University and Faculty: Yale Law School
Name of the course: Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic
Contact Info: Jack Balkin, Jennifer Bishop, Jennifer.Bishop@yale.edu, Behesht Heidary, Behesht.Heidary@yale.edu, and Jeremy Kutner, Jeremy.Kutner@yale.edu
Number of Semesters/Hours: 2-4 Semesters
Number of Credits: 3
Years When Taught: Since 2009
Course Description: The clinic has a twofold mission: to support a robust investigative role for media actors and to preserve the public's right of access to information. The ultimate goal of the clinic is to ensure that the press, in both legacy and new media formats, continues to contribute to a well-informed public sphere. The clinic's work includes Freedom of Information Act litigation, First Amendment right-of-access claims, and research surrounding government transparency issues. The clinic operates as an externship model, with students taking primary responsibility over real-life cases while being supervised by practicing lawyers.
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FOI & Information Policy Courses
Argentina
Name of the University/Organization and Faculty: University of Buenos Aires, Faculty of Law, Post-Graduate Department
Name of the Clinic/Course: Corporations and Information
Name of the Professor: Jorge Lavalle Cobo, Dolores Lavalle Cobo
Contact Info: Director of the course is Jorge Lavalle Cobo, coordinator - Dolores Lavalle Cobo, doloreslavalle@fibertel.com.ar
Number of Semesters/Hours: Every Wednesday, starting from April 27 to July 6, from 18 to 20 hours
Number of Credits, if any: No credits, participants will be granted certificates
Years When taught: 2011
Course Description: This is a post-graduate course which aims to train corporation lawyers and representatives of any other profession (including foreigners) to acquire the necessary knowledge and resources about right of access to information and learn how to put it into practice. There is no pre-selection procedure of the participants.
The course consists of 10 classes (2 hours each), beginning with the basics of the RTI in Argentina, practical aspects such as how to require information, the main exceptions to the RTI (privacy, habeas data; national security, intelligence secrets; trade and other commercial secrets, banking and tax secrets; environmental and consumer information, etc) and the administrative and judicial actions to activate when information is denied.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Name of the University and Faculty: Buenos Aires University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Communication
Name of the course: Right to Information
Name of the Professor: Henoch Aguiar
Number of Semesters/Hours: 16 weeks
Course Description: Until 2004 within the course the students received an overview of the national and international legal standards and they performed practical work with invented cases. From 2004 each student has to submit a real request to the National Executive Power and to other public bodies
Armenia
Name of the University and Faculty: Yerevan State University, Journalism Department
Name of the course: Access to Information
Australia
Name of the University and Faculty: The Australian National University, Law faculty
Name of the course: Freedom of Information and Privacy Law
Contact Info: pgadmin.law@anu.edu.au
Years When Taught: 2010
Course Description: The aim of this course is to explore the way in which information is regulated in Australia by the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) and the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
The key themes of collection, access, amendment and disclosure of information will be explored from the perspective of:
- citizens exercising their access and amendment rights;
- government agencies and private sector organisations who have certain responsibilities in terms of the way information is managed; and
- those who make decisions and administer the FOI and Privacy Acts.
El Salvador
Name of the University and Faculty/Organization: Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA).
Organization: Alianza Regional por la Libertad de Expresión e Información (Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information)
Name of the course: Cátedra Interamericana de Derecho de la Información (Freedom of Information Inter American Course)
Name of the Professor: International instructors: Perla Gómez, UNAM Professor, México
Moises Sánchez, Executive Director of Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Tomás Vial, Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Verónica Bustos, Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Local instructors: Perla Gomez (México)
María Adilia Serrano (Nicaragua)
Jose Luis Benitez (El Salvador)
Rafael Pérez Jaramillo y Ricardo Lombana (Panamá)
Rigoberto Cuellar y Rigoberto Ochoa (Honduras)
Silvio Gramajo (Guatemala).
Contact Info: Karina Banfi, kbanfi@yahoo.com
Number of Semesters/Hours: 2 courses for country. (one and half day for course)
Years When Taught: 2007 and 2008.
Course Description: The Freedom of Information Latin American Course is a FOI training initiative organized by the Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information with great success in six countries from Central America, including México, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panamá, Honduras and Guatemala during 2007 and 2008. This was a propose of Trust, former coordinator of Regional Alliance.
Four international experts and an important list of local experts on Freedom of Information participated in this initiative training program were they shared their experience and knowledge with more than 290 people. This initiative received institutional and logistical support from a number of academic institutions including: Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA) from El Salvador, Universidad Centroamericana de Nicaragua (UCA), Universidad Santa María de la Antigua from Panamá (USMA), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH) and Universidad Rafael Landívar from Guatemala (URL) and Universidad de Guadalajara, México.
Georgia
Name of the University and Faculty: The Sukhishvili University, The faculty of Social Science, business and law.
Name of the course: Information Law
Course Description: The course includes issues such as types of information, official documents, personal data, legal regulation of confidential information, etc.
Guatemala
Name of the University and Faculty/Organization: Universidad Rafael Landívar
Organization: Alianza Regional por la Libertad de Expresión e Información (Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information)
Name of the course: Cátedra Interamericana de Derecho de la Información (Freedom of Information Inter American Course)
Name of the Professor: International instructors: Perla Gómez, UNAM Professor, México;
Moises Sánchez, Executive Director of Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile;
Tomás Vial, Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile;
Verónica Bustos, Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile.
Local instructors: Perla Gomez (México);
María Adilia Serrano (Nicaragua);
Jose Luis Benitez (El Salvador);
Rafael Pérez Jaramillo y Ricardo Lombana (Panamá);
Rigoberto Cuellar y Rigoberto Ochoa (Honduras);
Silvio Gramajo (Guatemala).
Contact Info: Karina Banfi, kbanfi@yahoo.com
Number of Semesters/Hours: 2 courses for country. (one and half day for course)
Years When Taught: 2007 and 2008.
Course Description: The Freedom of Information Latin American Course is a FOI training initiative organized by the Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information with great success in six countries from Central America, including México, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panamá, Honduras and Guatemala during 2007 and 2008. This was a propose of Trust, former coordinator of Regional Alliance.
Four international experts and an important list of local experts on Freedom of Information participated in this initiative training program were they shared their experience and knowledge with more than 290 people. This initiative received institutional and logistical support from a number of academic institutions including: Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA) from El Salvador, Universidad Centroamericana de Nicaragua (UCA), Universidad Santa María de la Antigua from Panamá (USMA), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH) and Universidad Rafael Landívar from Guatemala (URL) and Universidad de Guadalajara, México.
Honduras
Name of the University and Faculty/Organization: Universidad Nacional Autónoma (UNAH).
Organization: Alianza Regional por la Libertad de Expresión e Información (Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information)
Name of the course: Cátedra Interamericana de Derecho de la Información (Freedom of Information Inter American Course)
Name of the Professor: International instructors: Perla Gómez, UNAM Professor, México
Moises Sánchez, Executive Director of Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Tomás Vial, Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Verónica Bustos, Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Local instructors: Perla Gomez (México)
María Adilia Serrano (Nicaragua)
Jose Luis Benitez (El Salvador)
Rafael Pérez Jaramillo y Ricardo Lombana (Panamá)
Rigoberto Cuellar y Rigoberto Ochoa (Honduras)
Silvio Gramajo (Guatemala).
Contact Info: Karina Banfi, kbanfi@yahoo.com
Number of Semesters/Hours: 2 courses for country. (one and half day for course)
Years When Taught: 2007 and 2008.
Course Description: The Freedom of Information Latin American Course is a FOI training initiative organized by the Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information with great success in six countries from Central America, including México, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panamá, Honduras and Guatemala during 2007 and 2008. This was a propose of Trust, former coordinator of Regional Alliance.
Four international experts and an important list of local experts on Freedom of Information participated in this initiative training program were they shared their experience and knowledge with more than 290 people. This initiative received institutional and logistical support from a number of academic institutions including: Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA) from El Salvador, Universidad Centroamericana de Nicaragua (UCA), Universidad Santa María de la Antigua from Panamá (USMA), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH) and Universidad Rafael Landívar from Guatemala (URL) and Universidad de Guadalajara, México.
Hungary
Name of the University and Faculty: Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (MSc in Business Informatics)
Name of the course: Processing of Personal and Public Data (in Hungarian and in English, separately)
Name of the Professor: Ivan Szekely
Contact Info: szekelyi@ceu.hu
Number of Semesters/Hours: 21 double classes per semester
Number of credits: 4
Years When Taught: 2011
Course Description: The objective of the course is to make IT specialists aware of the requirements regarding the storing, processing, forwarding and making accessible of personal data and data of public interest, as well as the applicable IT solutions corresponding to these requirements. This includes the application of OAI-based systems handling data of public interest, especially the structure and functioning of the Central Electronic List of Public Information and the Single Public Information Retrieval System developed in Hungary.
Name of the University and Faculty: Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences (until 2007), Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics (from 2007)
Name of the course: Data Protection and Freedom of Information
Name of the Professor: Ivan Szekely
Contact Info: szekelyi@ceu.hu
Number of Semesters/Hours: 14 double classes per semester
Years When Taught: 1992-2010
Course Description: An introductory and multidisciplinary course created for the traditional (five-year) university program but also in postgraduate and doctoral versions. All students can take the course; in the first period half of them were economists, the other half engineers; now the majority are IT specialists. A similar course was taught by the same professor at the Budapest University ELTE, in the media manager postgraduate program, 1999-2001.
Name of the University and Faculty: Central European University, Budapest, Summer University
Name of the course: Access to Documents, Access to Archives
Name of the Professor: Ivan Szekely
Contact Info: szekelyi@ceu.hu
Number of Semesters/Hours: A two-week intensive course
Years When Taught: 1997, 2000
Course Description: A course designed for members of the archival profession, as well as for researchers, historians and decision makers in public administration, especially from countries of the Central and Eastern European region, to become acquainted with these governing principles and existing examples from western and newly democratic countries. Participants learn about each other's situation, problems and solutions; they clarify their legal and ethical arguments, taking differences in political and cultural traditions and legal frameworks into consideration.
Name of the University and Faculty: University of Pécs, Faculty of Law, Research Institute for Information and Communications Law
Name of the course: Information Law Specialization
Name of the Professor: Gyorgy Zsolt Balogh
Contact Info: balogh@ajk.pte.hu
Number of Semesters/Hours:
Years When Taught: -1999-
Course Description: A specialization offered to lawyers with a university level (LL.D.) degree; the curriculum includes FOI law.
Name of the University and Faculty: Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest (ELTE), Faculty of Law and Political Sciences
Name of the course: Information Law
Name of the Professor: Mate D. Szabo
Contact Info: szabomat@szabomat.hu
Number of Semesters/Hours:
Course Description: A course on different areas of information law, including Freedom of Information.
Name of the University and Faculty: Karoli Gaspar Protestant University, Budapest, Faculty of Law
Name of the course: Data Protection - Publicity of Data of Public Interest I-II.
Name of the Professor: Attila Peterfalvi
Contact Info: http://www.kre.hu/english/
Ireland
Name of the University and Faculty University College Cork, Department of Law
Name of the course: Information law and policy
Name of the Professor: Maeve Mcdonagh
Contact Info: Maeve Mcdonagh, m.mcdonagh@ucc.ie
Years When Taught: 2009
Course Description: The course explores law and policy relating to information focusing in particular on the issue of access to government information. The course commences by examining the international information policy framework including such issues as access to information as a human right, commercialisation of government information and the implications for access to information of public sector reform.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Mexico
Name of the University and Faculty/Organization: Universidad de Guadalajara
Organization: Alianza Regional por la Libertad de Expresión e Información (Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information)
Name of the course: Cátedra Interamericana de Derecho de la Información (Freedom of Information Inter American Course)
Name of the Professor: International instructors: Perla Gómez, UNAM Professor, México
Moises Sánchez, Executive Director of Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Tomás Vial, Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Verónica Bustos, Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Local instructors: Perla Gomez (México)
María Adilia Serrano (Nicaragua)
Jose Luis Benitez (El Salvador)
Rafael Pérez Jaramillo y Ricardo Lombana (Panamá)
Rigoberto Cuellar y Rigoberto Ochoa (Honduras)
Silvio Gramajo (Guatemala).
Contact Info: Karina Banfi, kbanfi@yahoo.com
Number of Semesters/Hours: 2 courses for country. (one and half day for course)
Years When Taught: 2007 and 2008.
Course Description: The Freedom of Information Latin American Course is a FOI training initiative organized by the Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information with great success in six countries from Central America, including México, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panamá, Honduras and Guatemala during 2007 and 2008. This was a propose of Trust, former coordinator of Regional Alliance.
Four international experts and an important list of local experts on Freedom of Information participated in this initiative training program were they shared their experience and knowledge with more than 290 people. This initiative received institutional and logistical support from a number of academic institutions including: Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA) from El Salvador, Universidad Centroamericana de Nicaragua (UCA), Universidad Santa María de la Antigua from Panamá (USMA), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH) and Universidad Rafael Landívar from Guatemala (URL) and Universidad de Guadalajara, México.
Netherlands
Name of the University and Faculty: FOI Courses are taught in the following universities: University of Amsterdam Leiden University, University of Nijmegen, Maastricht University, Tilburg University. Utrecht University and University of Groningen
Contact Info: http://www.uva.nl/start.cfm/la=en;
http://kunweb.hosting.kun.nl/concernpages/home_en.asp; http://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/;
http://www.tilburguniversity.nl/;
http://www.uu.nl/EN/Pages/default.aspx;
http://www.rug.nl/corporate/index?lang=enhttp://www.rug.nl/corporate/index?
Nicaragua
Name of the University and Faculty/Organization: Universidad Centroamericana (UCA).
Organization: Alianza Regional por la Libertad de Expresión e Información (Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information)
Name of the course: Cátedra Interamericana de Derecho de la Información (Freedom of Information Inter American Course)
Name of the Professor: International instructors: Perla Gómez, UNAM Professor, México
Moises Sánchez, Executive Director of Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Tomás Vial, Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Verónica Bustos, Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Local instructors: Perla Gomez (México)
María Adilia Serrano (Nicaragua)
Jose Luis Benitez (El Salvador)
Rafael Pérez Jaramillo y Ricardo Lombana (Panamá)
Rigoberto Cuellar y Rigoberto Ochoa (Honduras)
Silvio Gramajo (Guatemala).
Contact Info: Karina Banfi, kbanfi@yahoo.com
Number of Semesters/Hours: 2 courses for country. (one and half day for course)
Years When Taught: 2007 and 2008.
Course Description: The Freedom of Information Latin American Course is a FOI training initiative organized by the Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information with great success in six countries from Central America, including México, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panamá, Honduras and Guatemala during 2007 and 2008. This was a propose of Trust, former coordinator of Regional Alliance.
Four international experts and an important list of local experts on Freedom of Information participated in this initiative training program were they shared their experience and knowledge with more than 290 people. This initiative received institutional and logistical support from a number of academic institutions including: Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA) from El Salvador, Universidad Centroamericana de Nicaragua (UCA), Universidad Santa María de la Antigua from Panamá (USMA), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH) and Universidad Rafael Landívar from Guatemala (URL) and Universidad de Guadalajara, México.
Pakistan
Name of the University and Faculty:
Name of the course: Freedom of Information
Course Description: At the end of the course participants should be able to have an appreciation of the concept, and global practices of access to information (right to know), and Freedom of Information laws and information regime in Pakistan; be able to confidently use the Freedom of Information Ordinance 2002; understand the citizens' rights and the obligations on government agencies and organizations, under the FOI Ordinance 2002. Method of teaching is face-to-face lectures, class discussions and practical work.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Panama
Name of the University and Faculty/Organization: Universidad Santa María de la Antigua
Organization: Alianza Regional por la Libertad de Expresión e Información (Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information)
Name of the course: Cátedra Interamericana de Derecho de la Información (Freedom of Information Inter American Course)
Name of the Professor, International instructors: Perla Gómez, UNAM Professor, México
Moises Sánchez, Executive Director of Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Tomás Vial, Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Verónica Bustos, Fundación Pro Acceso, Chile
Local instructors: Perla Gomez (México)
María Adilia Serrano (Nicaragua)
Jose Luis Benitez (El Salvador)
Rafael Pérez Jaramillo y Ricardo Lombana (Panamá)
Rigoberto Cuellar y Rigoberto Ochoa (Honduras)
Silvio Gramajo (Guatemala).
Contact Info: Karina Banfi, kbanfi@yahoo.com
Number of Semesters/Hours: 2 courses for country. (one and half day for course)
Years When Taught: 2007 and 2008.
Course Description: The Freedom of Information Latin American Course is a FOI training initiative organized by the Regional Alliance for Freedom of Expression and Information with great success in six countries from Central America, including México, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panamá, Honduras and Guatemala during 2007 and 2008. This was a propose of Trust, former coordinator of Regional Alliance.
Four international experts and an important list of local experts on Freedom of Information participated in this initiative training program were they shared their experience and knowledge with more than 290 people. This initiative received institutional and logistical support from a number of academic institutions including: Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas (UCA) from El Salvador, Universidad Centroamericana de Nicaragua (UCA), Universidad Santa María de la Antigua from Panamá (USMA), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras (UNAH) and Universidad Rafael Landívar from Guatemala (URL) and Universidad de Guadalajara, México.
Peru
Name of the University and Faculty: Señor de Sipan University
Name of the course: On-line course for teachers of Señor de Sipan University
Name of the Professor: Diego Zegarra
Contact Info: www.ipys.org
Years When Taught: 2009
Course Description: This course was designed for the university professors who, as part of the course, were prepared to teach at the clinic. The course's methodological strategy consisted of establishing the topics to be reviewed in forums. Forums were virtual spaces in which all participants interconnect to talk with the course's director. Two weekly forums were planned that were proceeded with reading tasks. At the end of each forum the course's director evaluated the participants' level of understanding of the topics discussed. At the end of the course the participants had to present a paper based on some of the topics discussed.
N.B. Course materials are available here
Philipinnes
Name of the University:
Name of the course: Right to Information: Law, Theory & Practice
Name of the Professor: Professor Solomon F. Lumba
Contact Info: sflumba@yahoo.com
Years When Taught: 2010-2011
Course Description: This is an introductory interdisciplinary course on the law, theory and practice of the right to information. At the end of the course, the students should be able to effectively instruct others on the law, theory and practice of the right to information. Method of teaching is group discussions using the meiutic method. Final grad consists of class participation and project accomplished individually or in group.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Russia
Name of the University and Faculty: Nizhny Novgorod State University
Name of the Clinic/Course: Access to Official Information
Name of the Professor: Tatyana Tolsteneva
Contact Info: Tatyana Tolsteneva, tatyana.tolsteneva@svobodainfo.org
Number of Semesters/Hours: 16 hours
Years When taught: 2010
Course Description: Course aims for developing theoretical and practical skills in the area of access to social significant information in Russia. Course consists of 4 lections and 4 practical lessons. Students get knowledge about the right of access to socially significant information and implementation of those rights in practice.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Name of the University and Faculty: State University the High School of Economic (Nignii Novgorod's branch)
Name of the Clinic/Course: Access to Official Information
Name of the Professor: Tatyana Tolsteneva
Contact Info: Tatyana Tolsteneva, tatyana.tolsteneva@svobodainfo.org
Number of Semesters/Hours: 16 hours
Years When taught: 2010
Course Description: Course aims for developing theoretical and practical skills in the area of access to social significant information in Russia. Course consists of 4 lections and 4 practical lessons. Students get knowledge about the right of access to socially significant information and implementation of those rights in practice.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Name of the University and Faculty: Nizhny Novgorod Commercial Institute
Name of the Clinic/Course: Access to Official Information
Name of the Professor: Tatyana Tolsteneva
Contact Info: Tatyana Tolsteneva, tatyana.tolsteneva@svobodainfo.org
Number of Semesters/Hours: 16 hours
Years When taught: 2010
Course Description: Course aims for developing theoretical and practical skills in the area of access to social significant information in Russia. Course consists of 4 lections and 4 practical lessons. Students get knowledge about the right of access to socially significant information and implementation of those rights in practice.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
United Kingdom
Name of the University and Faculty: University of Northumbria
Name of the course: Freedom of information, LLM course
Name of the Professor: Janet McLean
Contact Info: http://www.northumbria.ac.uk/?view=CourseDetail&code=DTDIRL6
Course Description: It aims to respond to the specific needs of information rights practitioners, providing a structured framework within which they can acquire and update knowledge whilst gaining a qualification that recognizes their specialist expertise.
Name of the University and Faculty: University of Dundee, School of Law
Name of the course: Freedom of Information, LLM module
Name of the Professor: Janet McLean
Contact Info: centrefoi@dundee.ac.uk
Number of Semesters/Hours: 2 hours a week for 10 weeks
Number of Credits: 30 Credits
Years When Taught: 2010, 2011-2012 [depending on levels of student interest]
Course Description: The objective of the module is to help students acquire an advanced knowledge and critical understanding of the legal regimes regulating the availability of public information in Scotland. By the end of the module, students should appreciate the broader governmental and political context in which freedom of information regimes operate and understand the main features of the Scottish Freedom of Information Act including the institutional framework and the nature of the exemptions.
United States
Name of the University and Faculty: University of California
Name of the course: Information Law
Name of the Professor: Lynn M. LoPucki
Contact Info: lopucki@law.ucla.edu, http://www.law.ucla.edu/academic-programs-and-courses/curriculum/course-descriptions/Pages/law-529-seminar-information-law.aspx
Number of Semesters/Hours: -
Years When Taught: Spring 2009-2010
Course Description: This seminar explores issues in the law regulating access to information. Topics include information privacy, human identification and identity theft; the consumer credit reporting system, access to court, criminal, and other public records; and the Freedom of Information Act. Students will use the information systems studied and write and present papers.
Name of the University and Faculty: Albany Law School
Name of the course: Public Access to Government Information
Name of the Professor: -
Contact Info: Robert Freeman, Freeman@dos.state.ny.us
Course Description: Involves a review of the law in the United States and abroad, with a concentration on New York law, including judicial interpretation, that is designed to promote open access to government as the public's right to know while guarenteeing safety and security for citizens.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Name of the University and Faculty: University of Missouri, School of Journalism
Name of the course: Controls of Information
Name of the Professor: Charles N. Davis
Contact Info: DavisCN@missouri.edu
Number of Semesters/Hours: 16 weeks
Years When Taught: Spring 2009
Course Description: The doctrinal focus of the class is access to government records, meetings, and processes, and the legal and political theory giving rise to such rights. The topic is approached from perspective of the journalist acting as a proxy for the people in a democracy.
Name of the University and Faculty: University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Name of the course: Freedom of Information Law
Name of the Professor: Richard J. Peltz
Contact Info: http://ssrn.com/author=625107, rjpeltzsteele@gmail.com
Number of Semesters/Hours: 1 semester / three hours
Years When Taught: 2004-present
Course Description: This course focuses on the law of access to government, or freedom of information law, in the United States. The course takes a multistate approach, familiarizing students with norms of state and federal open records and open meetings laws, and exposing students to statutes, regulations, and cases at both state and federal levels. Course coverage is organized in three parts - Access to the Judiciary, Access to the Executive, and Principal Issues in Access Law - and in ten chapters: (1) Criminal Proceedings, (2) Juries, (3) Court Records, (4) The FOIAs, (5) Law Enforcement and Corrections, (6) Homeland Security and the War on Terror, (7) Open Records, (8) Open Meetings, (9) Electronic Access, and (10) Scope of Laws.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Name of the University and Faculty: University of Arizona, School of Journalism
Name of the course: Government Secrecy: Access to Information in a Time of Terror
Name of the Professor: David Cuillier
Contact Info: cuillier@email.arizona.edu
Number of Semesters/Hours: Daily, 3 and half weeks long
Years When Taught: Winter session and summer session, 2007, 2008, 2009, winter sesion- 2010, 2011
Course Description: This online course for undergraduates and graduate students delves into the world of government secrecy and access to government records, including the legal and political theories that protect freedom of information, and the practical application of access in our careers and personal lives. Students examine the benefits and harms caused by access, current threats to access, and the changing climate with a new president. Students learn not only the history and theory of access, but also practical strategies for getting public records.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Constitutional and Administrative Law Courses
Azerbaijan
Name of the University and Faculty: Baku State University, Law Faculty
Name of the course: Constitutional Law & Civic Law
Name of the Professor: Elchin Halafov
Contact Info: Law Clinic BSU [lawclinicbsu@azdata.net]
Number of Semesters/Hours: 1 semester
Years When Taught: -2003
Bulgaria
Name of the University and Faculty: Sofia University
Name of the course: Administrative law and Human rights
Contact Info: http://www.uni-sofia.bg/index.php/eng/
Name of the University and Faculty: University of Veliko Turnovo
Name of the course: Administrative law and Human rights
Contact Info: http://www.uni-vt.bg/2/?zid=1&lid=2
Georgia
Name of the University and Faculty: Akaki Tsereteli State University
Name of the course: General Administrative Law
Number of Semesters/Hours: 1 semester; 125 academic hours
Course Description: The course covers issues such as the concept of public information, its types and forms.
Name of the University and Faculty: Sukhishvili University
Name of the course: General Administrative Law
Contact Info: http://sukhishvilebi.edu.ge/
Number of Semesters/Hours: 1 semester
Name of the University and Faculty: Akaki Tsereteli State University
Name of the course: General Administrative Law
Contact Info: atsu@atsu.edu.ge
Number of Semesters/Hours: 1 semester; 125 academic hours
Course Description: The course covers issues such as the concept of public information, its types and forms.
Name of the University and Faculty: Ilia Chavchavadze State Univeristy
Name of the course: General Administrative Law
Number of Semesters/Hours: one; 62 academic hours, 3 out of which is devoted to FOI
Name of the University and Faculty: Caucasus School of Law
Name of the course: General Administrative Law
Contact Info: info@cu.edu.ge, www.csl.ge
Number of Semesters/Hours: 1 semester; 36 academic hours, 4 out of which are devoted to FOI
Macedonia
Name of the University and Faculty: Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje
Name of the course: Administrative law
Years When Taught: 2008-2009
Course Description: A small number of classes and practical exercises were dedicated to the right to free access to public information within the course on administrative law. The students were acquainted with the procedure for submitting FOI requests and the procedures as well as the available legal remedies in case the request is rejected.
Slovenia
Name of the University and Faculty: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Law
Name of the course: FOI and data protection are taught under the following courses: Constitutional law, Administrative Law, Personality Rights law
Name of the Professor: Constitutional Law - prof. Kaucic; Administrative Law - prof. Plicanic, Personality Rights Law - prof. Novak
Contact Info: http://www.pf.uni-lj.si/en/
Number of Semesters/Hours: - Constitutional Law: ½ lecture for FOI and ½ lecture for DP (½ hour each); Administrative Law: 1,5 lecture (1,5 hour), Personality Rights Law: 1 lecture
Years When Taught: 2008-2009; 2010-2011
Course Description: Constitutional Law - A short overview of FOI and data protection are included in the topic on Human Rights protected by the Constitution (app. half of a lecture for each).
Administrative Law - FOI is included in the topic on the "System of Public Administration" which focuses on functions of public administration, relationships in public administration, the relationship with the EU and modern principles of PA work which include FOI (FOI takes app. 1,5 lecture).
Personality Rights Law - covers data protection as one of the human rights, focuses on protection of personality after death (1 lecture).
NB! course descriptions are only available in Slovenian
Name of the University and Faculty: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Administration
Name of the course: Administrative law, Public Administration Information Systems, Information Systems Security Policies, Administrative Procedure
Name of the Professor: Administrative law - prof. Strmecki; Public administration information systems - dr. Decman; Information Systems Security Policies - prof. Bugaric; Administrative procedure - Dr. Kovac
Contact Info: http://www.fu.uni-lj.si/en/
Number of Semesters/Hours: Administrative law (1 lecture); Public administration information systems (1 lecture); Information Systems Security Policies (1 lecture); Administrative procedure (1 lecture).
Years When Taught: 2008-2009; 2010-2011
Course Description: Administrative law - The course focuses on the system of public administration and the relationships within PA, the position and the rights and obligations of the individual towards PA. FOI is taught under the last topic (app. 1 lecture)
Public administration information systems - The course focuses also on DP and FOI in the context of information systems in the public administration, e-government (app. 1 lecture).
Information Systems Security Policies - DP as one of the foundations of modern civil society (app. 1 lecture)
Administrative procedure - the Information Commissioner gives 1 lecture during this course.
NB! course descriptions are only available in Slovenian
Name of the University and Faculty: University of Maribor
Name of the course: Constitutional and Administrative Law
Name of the Professor: Constitutional Law - prof. Toplak; Administrative Law - prof. Grafenauer
Contact Info: http://www.pf.uni-mb.si/index.php?lang=en
Years When Taught: 2008-2009; 2010-2011
Course Description: Constitutional Law: FOI and data protection are included in the topic on Human Rights protected by the Constitution
Administrative Law: the course syllabus includes the system of public administration, some specific questions and also the institutions that perform control over the work of public administration (the Information Commissioner is one of them).
NB! course descriptions are only available in Slovenian
Media and Journalism Courses
Georgia
Name of the University and Faculty: The Sukhumi University
Name of the course: Mass Media Law
Contact Info: http://www.sou.edu.ge
Course Description: The course covers the legislative framework in this sphere.
Name of the University and Faculty: Georgian-American University, Law School
Name of the course: Comparative Media and Telecommunications Law
Contact Info: http://gau.ge/geo/llm.php
Number of Semesters/Hours: 1 semester
Hungary
Name of the University and Faculty: Central European University
Name of the course: Enabling Policies for Freedom of the Media
Name of the Professor: Peter Molnar
Contact Info: Peter Molnar, Molnarp@ceu.hu
Number of Semesters/Hours: 1 semester
Years When Taught: Fall 2009
Course Description: The course examines - from a comparative perspective, in the light of internationally accepted principles and recommendations - to what extent regulations that work in a democracy, or in some democracies can provide helpful concepts that can be transplantable to other democracies after being carefully adopted to the local socio-legal environments with special attention to differences between longer-established and developing democracies. Searching for the best possible approaches, the course discusses some ongoing, key regulatory questions of freedom of information, the protection of confidential sources (the legal precondition of a particular way to access information for news gathering), "hate-extremist speech", and the constitutional safeguards for the freedom to criticize public officials and other public figures in regard their public activities.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
Netherlands
Name of the University and Faculty: FOI Courses are taught in the following universities: University of Amsterdam Leiden University, University of Groningen
Contact Info: http://www.uva.nl/start.cfm/la=en;
http://www.rug.nl/corporate/index?lang=en
Slovenia
Name of the University and Faculty: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Social Sciences
Name of the course: Information Systems and e-Government, FOI and Data Protection are briefly included as topics under different courses that cover journalist discourse, media rights, political systems, communication management, etc.
Name of the Professor: Information Systems and e-Government - Dr. Berce
Contact Info: http://www.fdv.uni-lj.si/English/Office_IC/
Number of Semesters/Hours: Information Systems and e-Government: 1 lecture
Years When Taught: 2008-2009 academic year; 2010-2011 academic year
Course Description: Information Systems and e-Government - DP is covered together with wider information security issues.
FOI and Data Protection are briefly included as topics under different courses that cover journalist discourse, media rights, political systems, communication management, etc.
The Information Commissioner gives 1 lecture per year, hosted by prof. Vercic.
Courses on Anti-Corruption & Good Governance
Latvia
Name of the University and Faculty: University of Latvia
Name of the course: Anti-corruption
Contact Info: Valts Kalnins, valts@providus.lv
Number of Semesters/Hours: One hour is devoted to FOI
Slovakia
Name of the University and Faculty: Comenius University
Name of the course: Ethics, Corruption and Transparency in Public Policy
Contact Info: Emilia Beblava, ema@transparency.sk
Years When Taught: 2008-2009
United States
Name of the University and Faculty: Cornell Law School
Name of the course: Corruption Control
Name of the Professor: R. Goldstock
Contact Info: ipsig@verizon.net,
Number of Semesters/Hours: 1 semester
Course description: This seminar analyzes the types of corruption that exist in both the public and private sectors, the means by which a variety of criminal and non-traditional remedies may be used to reduce the frequency and impact of corrupt activities, and the constitutional and statutory problems implicated by such approaches.
Name of the University and Faculty: Georgetown University
Name of the course: Public Corruption
Name of the Professor: Scott Dahl and Peter Zeidenberg
Years When Taught: Summer 2009
Course Description: In addition to a discussion of the specific laws used to combat corruption, the course will touch on the various corruption scenarios, investigate issues, defenses, public policy concerns, and other remedies for preventing and deterring corruption, including training and financial transparency.
Name of the University and Faculty: Rutgers University-Newark
Name of the course: Administrative Transparency
Name of the Professor: Suzanne J. Pietrowski
Contact Info: http://www.rutgers.edu/
Years When Taught: From 2008
Course Description: This Masters level seminar will address historical and current issues surrounding the concepts, theories, and practices of governmental transparency and how open government relates to ethics in public administration. Topics covered include open meetings, freedom of information laws, government publicity, whistle blowing, and illegally leaked information. Throughout the semester, we will discuss how transparency is at times in tension with personal privacy, national security, and government efficiency. How transparency relates to corruption and the different definitions of transparency in a transnational context are also addressed.
N.B. The syllabus is available upon request.
[1] Two of the above mentioned clinics (Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económicas in Mexico and Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo De Mexico) are not specialized FOI clinics, but FOI is included in the curricula.
