Joshua CASTELLINO

Joshua Castellino is founding Executive Dean of the College of Arts, Law & Social Sciences at Brunel University London, United Kingdom. He served as Executive Director of Minority Rights Group International (MRG) (2018-2025) and Professor of International & Comparative Law at University of Derby, UK (2023-2025). Prior to that he founded the Law School at Middlesex University and served as Dean until 2018, stepping down to take on the role at Minority Rights Group while retaining his Chair at the University until November 2022.

Joshua’s scholarship and practice combines global research and writing in international and comparative law with the design and implementation of advocacy strategies, the strengthening of local, national and regional institutions and direct engagement with multilateral organizations. He collaborates with global law-oriented organizations, serving as Chair of Privacy International and sits pro bono on the governing/advisory boards of the European Centre for Constitutional & Human Rights, Germany; European Centre for Minority Issues, Germany; European Human Rights Advocacy Centre, UK; Institute on Statelessness & Inclusion, Netherlands; Survival International, UK, CoQual Research, USA, and the Right Livelihood Foundation, Sweden. In his previous ex-officio MRG role he served as Proprietor of Minority Rights Group Europe, Hungary, and as member of the governing board of Minority Rights Group Africa, Uganda. He also has honorary/advisory roles at the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (USA), the World Economic Forum (Switzerland), the African Commission of Human & Peoples’ Rights (Gambia) and is a Door Tenant at 25 Bedford Row (UK).

Born and brought up in Mumbai, India, Joshua worked as a journalist for Indian Express Group in the 1990s, before winning a Chevening Scholarship in 1995 to undertake an MA in International Law & Politics in the UK, completing his PhD in International Law in 1998. He has authored ten books and over two hundred outputs on international law & human rights over thirty years in academia and practice, including the Minority Rights Series (Oxford University Press). His work engages with questions of international law, minority and indigenous peoples’ rights at inter-governmental, parliamentary, apex courts, bar associations, civil society organizations and Universities across the globe. Joshua helped design and participated in the European Union China Diplomatic & Expert Dialogue on Human Rights (2002-2006) and was appointed Chair by the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the 8th Forum on Minority Issues (2015), an inter-governmental dialogue with civil society under the auspices of the United Nations Human Rights Council. His latest book is titled International Law & the Reconceptualization of Territorial Boundaries: In Pursuit of Perpetual Peace (Routledge, 2025).