Embedded Files
"As threats to democracies intensify and commitments to institutions weaken, our experience in Democracy Defenders in Exile has given us a front-row seat to the work of activists, organizers, and leaders who have dedicated their personal and professional lives to safeguarding democratic norms. It was incredibly rewarding to meet and engage with these democracy defenders—holding conversations, asking difficult questions, and reflecting on the future of global democracy. Through these sessions, we gained invaluable insight into their struggles and achievements, while also considering the roles each of us can play in protecting and strengthening democracy." Alex, Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"This class has been deeply inspiring. Listening to democracy defenders speak about their resilience in the face of severe oppression has been both humbling and motivating. Each speaker, in their own way, urged us to use our voices—to recognize the privilege of having basic rights such as freedom of speech and expression, which so many others are denied. Inaction—even when it takes the form of ignorance or indifference toward global issues—is still a form of action."Erin, Global Struggles for Freedom class (Fall 2025)
"'When you have lost your country, you must build it in memory and behavior.' That thought has followed me through every story we heard this semester. Each defender we met showed how exile can become a moral discipline. Listening to them, I realized that democracy in exile is not nostalgia but a daily practice—about how one chooses to live, speak, and remember. They turned loss into labor and exile into ethics. Their journeys challenged me to see freedom not as possession but as responsibility: to keep the memory of truth alive, even when home feels distant."Francis, Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"Participating in Democracy Defenders in Exile has been a truly transformative experience. It has deepened my understanding of the threats facing democracy and the powerful ways activists and ordinary citizens are fighting back. Meeting with those on the frontlines of this struggle has inspired me to do more and shown me how the theories and concepts I’ve studied at Notre Dame can be applied in practice to help build a better world for everyone. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to take part in this experience."James B., Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"I think this course has done more than any other experience I’ve had at Notre Dame to make me aware of the human rights abuses occurring in China. There’s a tendency to treat human rights as an afterthought to economic or political concerns, and when those abuses feel remote, it becomes easy to tell ourselves they don’t really matter. But this course has made clear just how important it is to stay engaged with human rights issues, and it has given me the tools to do so. I now feel much more confident in both my understanding of the subject matter and in my ability to interact with democracy defenders and leaders in the human rights space. I’m genuinely grateful to have had the chance to take this class, and I hope that more students will be able to share this experience."James L., Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"The Democracy Defenders in Exile series offered an unparalleled opportunity to engage with real-world advocates and reflect on the global impact of human rights work. It was a privilege to participate in a course where our work was meaningful beyond the classroom. I interviewed Jewher Ilham, a Uyghur activist, author, and filmmaker in exile, both in class and after a public screening of her film “All Static and Noise” at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Centre. Speaking with her revealed how advocacy and storytelling intersect in human rights work and deepened my respect for the courage required to confront systemic oppression. Interviewing Jewher made tangible the human stakes of global human rights issues. From her separation from her father, Ilham Tohti, imprisoned for life in China, to her relentless advocacy through writing, testimony, and film, she embodies the power of storytelling to give human faces to abstract horrors and cold statistics. Working with my teammates, we divided our focus among emotional impact, policy, and generational perspectives to ensure our questions captured the depth of Jewher’s work. Conducting interviews before a live audience pushed me out of my comfort zone, teaching me to speak from knowledge and curiosity rather than notes. Unlike typical classes, we weren’t focused on grades—the coursework felt bigger than ourselves, with real-world implications."Jane, Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"I loved interviewing and listening to the speakers we invited to our class as they shared their stories and goals for activism. Hearing directly from them—and having the chance to ask questions—helped us learn in a way that reading and writing essays alone never could. This experience made our learning more active and engaging, and it personally opened my eyes to events and perspectives I had never encountered before. My curiosity about the experiences of different groups in China has grown tremendously as a result."John, Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"As a student living in the United States, I often read about human rights violations and suffering around the world. However, there is a meaningful difference between learning about these injustices through articles and statistics and hearing directly from people who have experienced them firsthand. Taking Global Struggles for Freedom with Professor Hui pushed me to confront that difference and recognize how much I have taken for granted in my own life. The course humanized global struggles, bringing them front and center and making them feel immediate rather than distant. This class also challenged me to think more seriously about my own role in responding to these injustices. Rather than presenting global crises as overwhelming or untouchable, the course emphasized how small, intentional actions can contribute to meaningful change. As an economics student, I am often trained to focus on theories and models that explain behavior. Global Struggles for Freedom taught me that while these frameworks matter, they are incomplete without centering human rights. The course reinforced for me that human dignity should be a starting point—not an afterthought—in understanding the world."Julia, Global Struggles for Freedom class (Fall 2025)
"'If not me, who?'—this question, posed by Samuel Chu, has resonated deeply with me throughout our early readings and assignments. It captures the essence of what we have been learning about the collective action problem in global struggles for freedom. I’ve noticed how this theme recurs across multiple case studies: movements often depend on individuals willing to act when others hesitate. Even efforts to raise international awareness or protect activists abroad require collective coordination. Yet, the enduring question remains—how can we overcome this collective action problem within domestic contexts?"Liam, Global Struggles for Freedom class (Fall 2025)
"I took this course as a college requirement and it ended up being one of my most engaging classes. The different class activities, like the use of VR and especially being able to hear from our guest speakers, made the class feel more personal and drove home its meaning much more than only readings and lectures could do. Almost all of our speakers emphasized the importance of classes like ours in bringing human rights violations to the public consciousness. The class inspired me to act in whatever ways I can to raise awareness about the struggles fought under repressive regimes around the world, because after all, if I – and my classmates, and anyone else who knows what’s going on – don’t do something, who will?"Olivia, College Seminar: Global Struggles for Freedom class (Fall 2025)
"The beauty of doing political science at the University of Notre Dame is that you can truly explore any area of the discipline. With that being said, though, I never imagined I would have the opportunity to interact so frequently with true defenders of democracy. Throughout my undergraduate courses, the importance of democracy has been analyzed and reaffirmed over and over be it in my World Politics, Political Theory, or American Politics courses. As we learn this, we equally learn how democracy is being encroached upon around the world. This senior seminar takes that concept and injects it into a fundamentally real-world based class. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to interact with leaders of human rights advocacy such as Yaqiu Wang, Lobsang Sangay, and Reva Price as an ordinary part of this course. It is an incredible culmination of the political science major. Every interview is inspiring in unique ways. They push us to redefine how we view success and assess what steps we are taking to achieve it."Ricardo, Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"I have never before taken a course like Prof. Hui's "Democracy Defenders in Exile". Oftentimes students and professors place grades before the learning process. In this class, however, I've pushed myself to continuously improve because grades are secondary to accurately honoring the lived experiences of the human rights defenders we've had the opportunity to engage with. The relationships between the activists, journalists, and government leaders we get to work with in this course testifies to the power of collaboration in addressing human rights issues from all angles. While one class won't teach us to solve human rights abuses- in fact, they may never be fully prevented- we've been given the resources needed to do our part in the collective effort to protect human dignity."Sam, Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"This class has been deeply inspiring. Listening to democracy defenders speak about their resilience in the face of severe oppression has been both humbling and motivating. Each speaker, in their own way, urged us to use our voices—to recognize the privilege of having basic rights such as freedom of speech and expression, which so many others are denied. Inaction—even when it takes the form of ignorance or indifference toward global issues—is still a form of action."Erin, Global Struggles for Freedom class (Fall 2025)
"'When you have lost your country, you must build it in memory and behavior.' That thought has followed me through every story we heard this semester. Each defender we met showed how exile can become a moral discipline. Listening to them, I realized that democracy in exile is not nostalgia but a daily practice—about how one chooses to live, speak, and remember. They turned loss into labor and exile into ethics. Their journeys challenged me to see freedom not as possession but as responsibility: to keep the memory of truth alive, even when home feels distant."Francis, Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"Participating in Democracy Defenders in Exile has been a truly transformative experience. It has deepened my understanding of the threats facing democracy and the powerful ways activists and ordinary citizens are fighting back. Meeting with those on the frontlines of this struggle has inspired me to do more and shown me how the theories and concepts I’ve studied at Notre Dame can be applied in practice to help build a better world for everyone. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to take part in this experience."James B., Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"I think this course has done more than any other experience I’ve had at Notre Dame to make me aware of the human rights abuses occurring in China. There’s a tendency to treat human rights as an afterthought to economic or political concerns, and when those abuses feel remote, it becomes easy to tell ourselves they don’t really matter. But this course has made clear just how important it is to stay engaged with human rights issues, and it has given me the tools to do so. I now feel much more confident in both my understanding of the subject matter and in my ability to interact with democracy defenders and leaders in the human rights space. I’m genuinely grateful to have had the chance to take this class, and I hope that more students will be able to share this experience."James L., Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"The Democracy Defenders in Exile series offered an unparalleled opportunity to engage with real-world advocates and reflect on the global impact of human rights work. It was a privilege to participate in a course where our work was meaningful beyond the classroom. I interviewed Jewher Ilham, a Uyghur activist, author, and filmmaker in exile, both in class and after a public screening of her film “All Static and Noise” at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Centre. Speaking with her revealed how advocacy and storytelling intersect in human rights work and deepened my respect for the courage required to confront systemic oppression. Interviewing Jewher made tangible the human stakes of global human rights issues. From her separation from her father, Ilham Tohti, imprisoned for life in China, to her relentless advocacy through writing, testimony, and film, she embodies the power of storytelling to give human faces to abstract horrors and cold statistics. Working with my teammates, we divided our focus among emotional impact, policy, and generational perspectives to ensure our questions captured the depth of Jewher’s work. Conducting interviews before a live audience pushed me out of my comfort zone, teaching me to speak from knowledge and curiosity rather than notes. Unlike typical classes, we weren’t focused on grades—the coursework felt bigger than ourselves, with real-world implications."Jane, Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"I loved interviewing and listening to the speakers we invited to our class as they shared their stories and goals for activism. Hearing directly from them—and having the chance to ask questions—helped us learn in a way that reading and writing essays alone never could. This experience made our learning more active and engaging, and it personally opened my eyes to events and perspectives I had never encountered before. My curiosity about the experiences of different groups in China has grown tremendously as a result."John, Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"As a student living in the United States, I often read about human rights violations and suffering around the world. However, there is a meaningful difference between learning about these injustices through articles and statistics and hearing directly from people who have experienced them firsthand. Taking Global Struggles for Freedom with Professor Hui pushed me to confront that difference and recognize how much I have taken for granted in my own life. The course humanized global struggles, bringing them front and center and making them feel immediate rather than distant. This class also challenged me to think more seriously about my own role in responding to these injustices. Rather than presenting global crises as overwhelming or untouchable, the course emphasized how small, intentional actions can contribute to meaningful change. As an economics student, I am often trained to focus on theories and models that explain behavior. Global Struggles for Freedom taught me that while these frameworks matter, they are incomplete without centering human rights. The course reinforced for me that human dignity should be a starting point—not an afterthought—in understanding the world."Julia, Global Struggles for Freedom class (Fall 2025)
"'If not me, who?'—this question, posed by Samuel Chu, has resonated deeply with me throughout our early readings and assignments. It captures the essence of what we have been learning about the collective action problem in global struggles for freedom. I’ve noticed how this theme recurs across multiple case studies: movements often depend on individuals willing to act when others hesitate. Even efforts to raise international awareness or protect activists abroad require collective coordination. Yet, the enduring question remains—how can we overcome this collective action problem within domestic contexts?"Liam, Global Struggles for Freedom class (Fall 2025)
"I took this course as a college requirement and it ended up being one of my most engaging classes. The different class activities, like the use of VR and especially being able to hear from our guest speakers, made the class feel more personal and drove home its meaning much more than only readings and lectures could do. Almost all of our speakers emphasized the importance of classes like ours in bringing human rights violations to the public consciousness. The class inspired me to act in whatever ways I can to raise awareness about the struggles fought under repressive regimes around the world, because after all, if I – and my classmates, and anyone else who knows what’s going on – don’t do something, who will?"Olivia, College Seminar: Global Struggles for Freedom class (Fall 2025)
"The beauty of doing political science at the University of Notre Dame is that you can truly explore any area of the discipline. With that being said, though, I never imagined I would have the opportunity to interact so frequently with true defenders of democracy. Throughout my undergraduate courses, the importance of democracy has been analyzed and reaffirmed over and over be it in my World Politics, Political Theory, or American Politics courses. As we learn this, we equally learn how democracy is being encroached upon around the world. This senior seminar takes that concept and injects it into a fundamentally real-world based class. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to interact with leaders of human rights advocacy such as Yaqiu Wang, Lobsang Sangay, and Reva Price as an ordinary part of this course. It is an incredible culmination of the political science major. Every interview is inspiring in unique ways. They push us to redefine how we view success and assess what steps we are taking to achieve it."Ricardo, Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
"I have never before taken a course like Prof. Hui's "Democracy Defenders in Exile". Oftentimes students and professors place grades before the learning process. In this class, however, I've pushed myself to continuously improve because grades are secondary to accurately honoring the lived experiences of the human rights defenders we've had the opportunity to engage with. The relationships between the activists, journalists, and government leaders we get to work with in this course testifies to the power of collaboration in addressing human rights issues from all angles. While one class won't teach us to solve human rights abuses- in fact, they may never be fully prevented- we've been given the resources needed to do our part in the collective effort to protect human dignity."Sam, Democracy Defenders in Exile class (Fall 2025)
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