Every year the Pufendorf Institute of Advanced Studies, located in Lund, supports academics working across Lund University to come together to develop inter-disciplinary thinking around innovative themes. These cover complex issues that are difficult to address productively through a single disciplinary lens.
Working together with academics based in faculties of law, sociology, international relations, and
engineering, RWI’s interim Director of Research Radu Mares and Matthew Scott, Head of the People on the Move thematic area, and senior researcher, developed a theme about the Future of Human Rights.
“The theme explores contemporary challenges and opportunities against the backdrop of two ‘mega-trends’: digitalization and the changing environmental conditions on the planet marking a new era of geological time known as ‘the Anthropocene’. We explore these mega-trends through departing from three so called ‘nexus points’: human mobility, corporatisation, and authoritarianism”, says Radu Mares.
The choice of these nexus enables researchers to apply existing expertise in these areas to the complexities represented by the mega-trends. “In the group, we benefit from the participation of the renowned Professor Bhupinder Chimni as well as the extraordinarily supportive arrangements created by the Pufendorf Institute”, says Matthew Scott.
Work that the group conducts within the theme leads to the development of research funding applications and academic articles. It will also result in round-table that will take place during the autumn of 2021:
“In this discussion, we will continue to explore the future of human rights, both from the perspective of
the international system itself, as well as broader questions relating to the enjoyment of human rights”, says Radu Mares.
This multidisciplinary theme, involving ‘human mobility, corporatisation, and authoritarianism’, creates synergies with the Wallenberg Chair of Human Rights that is co-hosted by the RWI and the Faculty of Law in Lund (2021-2025). It will concentrate on legal developments shaping the Future of Human Rights.
“The theme explores contemporary challenges and opportunities against the backdrop of two ‘mega-trends’: digitalization and the changing environmental conditions on the planet marking a new era of geological time known as ‘the Anthropocene’. We explore these mega-trends through departing from three so called ‘nexus points’: human mobility, corporatisation, and authoritarianism.”
Radu Mares, Senior Researcher at RWI
The Raoul Wallenberg Visiting Chair of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
The Visiting will seek to explore new ways to understand, analyse and secure the future of human rights. It is a
five-year project (2021–25) co-hosted by the Faculty of Law at Lund University and the Raoul Wallenberg Institute.
A number of leading international scholars will hold the chair. These will concentrate on legal developments shaping “The Future of Human Rights.” The scholars will work together with early career researchers to seek to advance innovative human rights thinking in an international and interdisciplinary context. In addition, they will pursue synergies between research, education, and policy development.
“Research on the future of human rights will focus on three areas: ‘the rise of authoritarianism and
populism’; ‘the challenges of technological change, digitalization and AI’; and ‘state of emergency’ and ‘the erosion of the rule of law’”, Radu Mares, Senior Researcher and Interim Research Director.
Facilitated by the latest research findings and a multitude of related activities, the Chair will – together with colleagues in Lund and beyond – organise a “Lund Summer School on the Future of Human Rights” for doctoral students. This will be a way to inform and inspire a new generation of human rights scholars, advocates, and policy-makers.
“The project benefits from and contribute to the research milieu at the two co-hosting institutions and Lund University more broadly as well as the on-going RWI capacity-building programmes spanning three continents”, says Radu Mares. The Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation generously supports the project.