Aryeh Neier Center for Justice

The Aryeh Neier Center for Justice bridges scholarship and practice by building human rights research skills, developing new investigative methods, and conducting strategic investigations to protect fundamental rights.

Based at Bard College Berlin, the Center trains students and professionals in effective and ethical human rights investigations, supports innovation in research methods, and produces independent, high-quality investigations—alone and with partners—to strengthen justice and the rule of law.

The Center draws inspiration from Aryeh Neier, who fled Nazi Germany as a child in 1939 and went on to lead the American Civil Liberties Union, co-found Human Rights Watch, and run the Open Society Foundations. It honors his legacy by promoting equality, accountability, and universal rights in both democratic and repressive contexts.

Embedded in the global human rights community, the Center works with NGOs, international organizations, media outlets, strategic litigation teams, and responsible private-sector actors. It helps partners by providing specialized research capacity, particularly where data-driven or tech-enabled methods are needed.

To drive innovation, the Center brings together investigators, lawyers, scholars, technologists, data scientists, military and geospatial experts, artists, and designers. Together they develop new ways to document and expose abuses—from machine learning tools to visual storytelling.

Through its teaching, research, and partnerships, the Center connects academic institutions to real-world human rights work. Students and practitioners contribute to active investigations and produce actionable research, strengthening partner capacity and preparing the next generation of human rights professionals.