The Institute for Human Rights at China University of Political Science and Law (IHRCUPL) is a research institution directly affiliated to CUPL, serving as a national center for human rights education and training. The institute is headed by the President of CUPL, Professor Ma Huaide.

IHRCUPL is dedicated to the research of major theoretical and practical issues on human rights both at the domestic level and the international level. The Institute is also responsible for the construction of the pioneering secondary discipline of human rights law, the cultivation of talents in human rights law major and the consultation and service of human rights. It also engages in extensive exchanges and cooperation in the field of human rights with domestic and international academic institutions and practical departments.

IHRCUPL places great emphasis on human rights education and trainings. So far, 222 postgraduate students have been enrolled into the Institution (169 master degree students and 53 doctoral degree students), among which 166 students have graduated (130 master degree graduates and 36 doctoral degree graduates). IHRCUPL has compiled the very first textbook in China on International Human Rights Law Course and on Gender and Human Rights Course, and the very first lecture textbook in China on Anti-Discrimination Law. It has organized 13 sessions of summer courses on human rights law, 8 seminars on human rights law teaching for university teachers, 3 training sessions for university teachers on human rights knowledge, 9 training workshops for university teachers on equality and anti-discrimination, 14 workshops on social gender and human rights for teachers, 5 advanced-level summer workshops on international humanitarian law for teachers, 3 workshops on business and human rights, 3 training programs on human rights knowledge, 2 workshops on court work/judicial and human rights protection, 1 national workshop on human rights publicity for external publicity cadres, and 4 sessions of the China Youth Forum on Human Rights. These programs have trained a large number of professionals specialized in human rights education, research and practice.

IHRCUPL provides substantive service to national legislative work and decision-making processes, providing intellectual support for the promulgation of various laws and policies, such as the Civil Code. The Institute focuses on major national level strategies and important issues in social development. It has submitted over 500 think tank consultation proposals and research reports.

IHRCUPL actively promotes publishing work, initiating the quarterly journal Chinese Journal of Human Rights and undertaking the publishing work of the English version of The Journal of Human Rights. It cooperates with Brill Publishing in the Netherlands to co-publish the series Chinese Perspectives on Human Rights and Good Governance and the Chinese Yearbook of Human Rights. The Institute also collaborates with the China University of Political Science and Law Press to create the Human Rights Library series and works with the Social Sciences Academic Press (CHINA) to publish the Anti-discrimination Law Review. It also collaborates with the Commercial Press to publish the Human Rights Series. All of the above provide multiple academic platforms for human rights research.