There are more slaves alive today than at any point in history. Around the world, nearly 46 million people are forced to work against their will for no pay.

Responding to this challenge over the past 20 years, a new antislavery movement has shown us that a world without slavery is possible. During this 5-week course, you’ll learn from experts at the cutting edge of human rights research, and you’ll investigate the complex systems that sustain slavery today.

You will consider:

• Different forms of slavery
• Ground-breaking research about slavery’s measurement and definition
• Strategies for ending slavery at the local, national and international levels
• The roles of governments, businesses, technology, legislation and enslaved people themselves in ending slavery

The course will be taught by Professor Kevin Bales, the world’s leading expert on contemporary slavery and one of the leaders of the antislavery movement, along with Professor Zoe Trodd, a leading expert on antislavery, and Dr. Katie Donington, a slavery historian.

This free course for University students and staff starts on Monday 8 May and can be accessed through Future Learn.

The course is the latest MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) to be offered by FutureLearn, the leading global social learning platform, owned by The Open University.