Silvia Steininger, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Hertie School’s Centre for Fundamental Rights, had the chance to visit the EUI last week thanks to the programme. In an interview, she discusses her research, networking at the EUI, and the special opportunities that CIVICA offers young scholars.
Dr Steininger, what is the focus of your research?
My research focusses on comparative regional human rights law, in particular the current backlash against human rights in Europe and the Americas. I adopt insights and methods from law, sociology and political science to study the resilience of human rights courts against authoritarian states and populist actors. I am currently in the process of transforming this research into a monograph for Cambridge University Press.
Why did you choose to do a CIVICA Faculty Short Visit at the EUI?
Few places have the same allure to academics as the gorgeous hills of Fiesole, where you can find fascinating and world-leading Professors, an international and interdisciplinary group of PhD and Postdoctoral Researchers, and a wonderful and tranquil library. I was a Visiting Researcher in 2016, shortly before starting my PhD, and always hoped to come back for longer, so it feels particularly emotional to come here now with an (almost finished) manuscript.
“It’s great that CIVICA Short Visits are open to Postdoctoral Researchers as international networks are crucial in this stage of your career.”
My visit included three main activities. First, I presented a paper on how the Inter-American Human Rights Court deals with attempts to misappropriate human rights arguments. Second, I met the wonderful staff of the Academy of EU Law, with whom I am working on a new communications strategy for the European Society of International Law, where I am a Board Member. Third, I joined the course “Editing a Law Journal” and attended the Faculty Research Seminar. Alongside this, I caught some quiet hours in the library with my manuscript and many espressos on the terrace to learn and discuss more with researchers at the EUI to (hopefully) plan future collaborations.
I am very grateful to Professors Sarah Nouwen and Gráinne de Búrca for hosting me.
What does the CIVICA offer Postdoctoral Researchers like yourself?
It’s great that the CIVICA Short Visits are also open to Postdoctoral Researchers and not just permanent faculty, as international networks are crucial in this stage of your career. The call for applications motivated me to reach out to EUI Professors I had not been in close contact with before. They helped me get to know new people, ideas and approaches.
Are you receiving support from CIVICA for any other activities?
I’m also receiving funding from CIVICA to organise the Hertie School’s workshop on “Research Methods in Fundamental Rights” at the Centre for Fundamental Rights. Thanks to this support, we will be able to host several fantastic lecturers from CIVICA-affiliated universities who will share their expertise on research methods such as empirical legal science and critical analysis. Primarily targeted at PhD researchers, we can also offer several scholarships for young researchers from CIVICA universities. The Methods Workshop is an annual highlight for me.
Article credits: Hertie School
