European Public Policy

The most fundamental rights: Queer refugees in the European Asylum System

Photo: Anastasiia Chepinska | Unsplash Author: Alina Mehrens   It’s the end of the pride month. So, as we watch the rainbows being taken down from corporate logos, sidewalks and the flagpoles in front of public offices, it’s worth discussing how much of a safe haven Europe actually is for LGBTQ+ refugees seeking asylum from persecution in their country of origin. Going from big to small, I want to first take a look at the changing judicature at the European Court of Justice and European Court of Human Rights relating […]

IR in Science

Making Papers Publishable – The Role of Research Designs

A little while ago, we spoke to Dr Nele Kortendiek about her work, how she approaches research designs and what students should be aware of when carving out a research idea. This interview with Prof Lisbeth Zimmermann from Zeppelin University is the second part of our series on research design and will provide you will valuable insights for your next paper.   YJEA: You mainly do research in the field of multilateral cooperation and international norms and institutions. Why are you particularly interested in these topics? Zimmermann: They are the […]

Guest Articles

Is the European Court of Human Rights going too far in expanding the scope of certain rights under the Convention?

Photo: WilliamCho | Pixabay Guest author: Margarida Luciano Martins   Introduction In this short paper I intend, to the best of my legal and research abilities, to analyse the issue of the expansion of the scope of some European Convention on Human Rights (henceforth mentioned as ECHR or the Convention) rights by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR, the Court or the Strasbourg Court), and evaluate whether the Court is overstepping its competences in its evolutive and dynamic approach on human rights protection or if its action is legitimate, […]

IR in Science

You are not there for the research design, the research design is there for you.

Moving on in the research process, we talked to Nele Kortendiek from the Zeppelin University about research design and methods. In this interview, we gained insights into what to do and what not when developing your research design as well as in Dr Kortendiek’s current research on civil society contestation of international organisations (IOs).   YJEA: Your field of research lays mainly in international organisations and migration policy. Why are you particularly interested in these topics? Kortendiek: To begin with, I was very much interested in the basic question of […]

Guest Articles

Women Protesters in Belarus and Poland – the key to change?

Photo: Lina Bob | Unsplash Guest Author: Lara Brett Lara Brett is a MA student in Contemporary European Studies at the University of Bath.   2020 was a turbulent time for everyone, but it also saw the amplification of ongoing political upheaval in eastern Europe. In Belarus and Poland, there is growing discord between authoritarian governments and the freedoms demanded by their citizens. In both nations, women have taken a leading role in the protests, but have often faced harsh repercussions. This post aims to highlight the contributions of these […]

IR in Practice

“Be courageous, be brave, say what you think” – Interview on human rights work with Lanna Idriss

Photo: Amnesty International   YJEA: We would like to start with your academic background. Could you give a short introduction of yourself? Idriss: Yeah, I will, because I am not the typical person who would end up in the public sector. So, about my international background: My name is Lanna Idriss, I am 45 years old and my father comes from Syria, my mother is a German-Danish mixture and I identify myself as a third-culture-kid. This is an expression by an American professor, who said, that when you have two […]

European Public Policy, Guest Articles

Making Polluters Pay – Policy Options for an Ambitious Reform of the European Emissions Trading System

Photo: SD-Pictures | Pixabay Guest Author: Benedikt Heyl Benedikt Heyl is a climate activist with German Zero, developing a concrete plan to make Germany climate neutral by 2035. He is a member of the Green Youth in Germany and studies theoretical physics at the University of Amsterdam.   The damages that the release of greenhouse gases causes to society as a whole are in crass contrast to the little repercussions that polluters experience for emitting them. To close this gap the European Emissions Trading System (ETS) was formed. Owners of […]

European Public Policy

Rule of Law in the EU – Killing the Goose that lays the Golden Eggs

Photo: François Genon | Unsplash   “Because other issues are more important than ethics, ethics is more important than any issue” [1]. Similarly, I would argue that the rule of law (RoL) may not be everything but without the rule of law, everything is nothing. The rule of law is inherently linked to democratic governance and democracy without the rule of law can hardly be considered democracy at all. Alongside human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality and human rights, the rule of law is one of the fundamental values uniting the […]

IR in Science

“We are all just a footnote to Plato”

Photo: drhorstdonat1 | Pixabay As our series on how to improve your research continues, we went on to talk to Prof Dr Christian Kreuder-Sonnen about his professional tips and tricks to find the right literature, sort out what already exists in the field and how to embed your own research in it.   YJEA: Most of your research centers around the field of global governance with a focus on the issues of democratic legitimacy and constitutionalism. Why are you particularly interested in these topics? Kreuder-Sonnen: These topics are so foundational […]

European Public Policy

Future of Europe: Migration Policy – Aspirations vs. Reality

Photo: Salah Darwish | Unsplash   Starting into the Council Presidency, Germany declared that migration policy in the European Union would be one of the focal points during the six months to come. Now, more than four months in, the issue many thought would be off the table due to different priorities during the corona pandemic has attracted more public scrutiny than anyone had imagined back in July 2020. The coronavirus especially affecting refugees who are most vulnerable, the burning down of Moria, the new proposal by the European Commission […]