Priya Gopalan: Defending Human Rights and Pursuing Justice Through International Law

On International Women's Day this year, we celebrate women across our global community who are advancing justice, equality, and human rights, and here at LPC, we are highlighting the inspiring journey of LPC alumna Priya Gopalan, Class of 1996.

Priya traces her path in international law directly back to her two years at LPC. It was while volunteering with children at Hong Kong’s nearby Whitehead refugee camp that her passion for refugee rights was first sparked. Combined with late-night dorm discussions with classmates from around the world, her time on campus instilled a deep commitment to fairness, dignity, and making space for unheard voices.

After leaving LPC, Priya earned a Chevening Scholarship to study law at Oxford and later completed her Master’s in Public International Law at LSE. Over the last two decades, she has dedicated her career to confronting conflict and injustice—prosecuting war crimes at the UN International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, establishing reparations for survivors of sexual violence in Kosovo, and conducting human rights investigations across the Balkans, Syria, Ukraine, and beyond.

In 2021, Priya became the first Malaysian appointed to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, where she served as Chair-Rapporteur, interviewing detainees in prisons and immigration centres worldwide to hold systems accountable.

Her message to current LPC students navigating their own futures?

"Play the long game." 

Every role, challenge, and unexpected detour builds the knowledge you need to step into your dream when the moment arrives.

You can read Priya’s full interview with the UWC International Office HERE.