Integration of human rights and digital learning in university education

Abstract

The article examines the role of the contemporary university as a comprehensive educational space and as a mediator between digital innovation and social justice. It is based on the premise that higher education cannot be reduced to the production of specialized knowledge, but must instead be conceived as a domain that promotes meaningful learning, fosters critical citizenship, and contributes to building more inclusive societies. The central objective was to analyze the capacity of the university to articulate technological innovation with principles of justice, understanding education as a bridge between the democratization of knowledge and civic formation. Methodologically, the research was developed through an analytical-documentary study, supported by a corpus composed of indexed academic literature, reports from international organizations, and university experiences reported in diverse contexts. The results indicate that the university achieves its greatest transformative potential when it integrates three dimensions into its educational practices: human rights education as a transversal axis of the curriculum, digital innovation as a pedagogical strategy for learning, and digital civic participation as a formative experience. These components strengthen students’ general education, generate connections between theory and practice, and position higher education as a space of justice and democratization of knowledge. It is concluded that higher education can and should be consolidated as a privileged mediator of the university-innovation-justice synergy, guiding technology toward social and democratic purposes.