As human rights issues multiply every year around the world, thousands of people respond through activism, offering hope to the distressed and strengthening the voices of victims who refuse to be silenced. I discovered in April that George Mason University has its own human rights activist, Cher Chen, PhD, an assistant professor of international studies for New Century College (NCC). Her infectious passion for human rights was immediately apparent on sitting down
with her for our interview. With an educational background in law and East Asian studies and a PhD in comparative politics, public law, and human rights, Chen was attracted to NCC’s interdisciplinary nature. She has taught for the college for the past two years and told me that she loves it. Chen is especially intrigued by
the cutting-edge concentrations, the diverse disciplines of the faculty, and the collaborative, student-oriented environment that NCC offers. The rights of women, children, and indigenous group are the focus of her research.Her first book was Compliance and Compromise: The Jurisprudence of Gender Pay Equity (Brill/Martinus Nijhoff, 2011). She is now working on her second book, a comparative analysis of women workers’ rights in the United States and China. Chen has also collaborated with NCC faculty on projects focused on human rights issues, including gender pay equity in the United States with associate dean Lisa Gring-Pemble, PhD; indigenous rights with Michael Gilmore; and children’s rights with Pamela Garner.Chen’s compassion for underprivileged groups extends to the International Human Rightscourse she currently teaches. While Chen doesn’t expect her students to remember all the theories and laws taught in her class, she hopes they develop research, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills. When her students read an article, they should be able to ask questions and apply skills from class to
address issues. These skills “will go a long way for my students,” Chen says. More important, “I want them to develop a passion for human rights and compassion for others that would serve them well if someday they are in a position to make a change.” From addressing human rights issues and encouraging her students to become active in the field to fostering their growth as learners and future leaders, Chen’s activism encourages the change needed to sustain humanity for underprivileged groups. “It is my hope that my students can develop their own passion for human rights while still in college.”Lela Ross is a senior majoring in integrative studies and minoring in conflict analysis and resolution.
September 25, 2013
