Welcome back to Lund and Goodbye
I 
hope you all had a nice summer, wherever in the world you spent your time off from university.I’ve had a wonderful summer and had time to read a lot of great novels. When I no longer need to study Human Rights I enjoy fiction again.
Soon you will be back in Lund to continue your studies. I wish you luck as second-year students in the masters program. It was a true joy to work in the library and I’m glad I got the opportunity to get to know you. Working for a Better World is the finest thing to do and I’m so proud of you. Thanks for letting me follow you for a while on your journey to exciting goals and tasks.
I have started to work at Polhemskolan in Lund, a large secondary school with 2300 pupils. The Library is very nice and cosy and I enjoy my new challenge. This blog ends here. I will continue to blog at www.minrektorsa.wordpress.com (My headmaster said) See you guys!
Free entry to the Museum of Public Art
On Wednesday, May 14 at.19 there is a lecture on A Hero’s Many Faces. Raoul Wallenberg Memorial at the Museum of Public Art, Lund. Based on her book A Hero’s Many Faces. Raoul Wallenberg in Contemporary Monuments (2009/2012) art historian Tanja Schult discusses artist’s different views on Raoul Wallenberg and how the genre hero monument might look like in the new millennium. The lecture will be in Swedish, but will focus a lot on photos. There is an opportunity to ask questions in English. So even if you are not fluent in Swedish you can attend.
The collections of the Museum are amazing and I can highly recommend a visit. On Sunday June 1 they have a guided tour in English at. 14.00.
Do not forget to bring your student ID to get free entrance.
The Museum of Public Art in Lund
Prototype in bronze “Hope” Ulla and Gustav Kraitz, 1998, The Museum of Public Art
New date for the closing of the Library
Soon it will be summer and the staff have annual leave. Starting on Wednesday the 4th of June the Library will be closed to the public. Masters Students will still have access and it is possible for you to use the Library all summer. During the summer the floors will be waxed. Due to this the Library might be closed for one or two days. Unfortunately we have no information about this yet.
We ask you kindly to empty the refrigerator and freezer by Tuesday June 10. Please remove your food from the cupboards in the kitchen before you leave. Left behind items will be discarded. It is still possible to use the kitchen and store things there during the day but please do not leave anything behind.
Thanks for your understanding!
PS Don’t forget the last Meet a researcher-event on Tuesday 20th of May. Come and discuss with Dr Christina Johnsson, Head of the Department for Research, Academic Education, Publications and the Library.
On my way to the beach
The shelf for reserved books has moved
The new shelf for reserved books
We have moved over all reserved books to the smaller shelf to the left of the window. We kindly ask you to only put away six books at a time and always place them with the spine outwards. Please always fill out the form with your name and contact information as well as the books’ titles. All of this is important so that other students and staff have access to all the books in the Library. When you do not need the books anymore we are grateful if you put them on the cart outside my office as soon as possible.
Thank you for helping us to keep the Library a nice place where it is possible to find things.
Conscious career choices and coincidences – A researcher meets students
On April 16th it was time for our third guest Dr Alejandro Fuentes, Senior Researcher at RWI. Sixteen students had responded to the invitation and come to this informal meeting in the library’s kitchen. The meeting developed into an interesting conversation about conscious career choices and coincidences.
Dr Alejandro Fuentes talks enthusiastically
Alejandro Fuentes started his career working for the Judiciary in Argentina. He considers this experience very useful. It gave a good training and he learnt how to balance different positions. Intellectual curiosity brought him to Europe in order to pursue Legal studies in Italy. After missing a train and a doctoral program in Bologna he engaged in a Master course and Doctoral studies at Trento University. At the European University Institute in Florence he met the former Director of RWI and finally arrived in Lund as a Guest Researcher.
For the time being Dr Fuentes has a new assignment to participate in the work for improvement of the prison system in Kenya and will travel there in May. This summer he will participate and teach students from Belarus coming to Lund for a course in Human Rights at the Institute.
Some of the students’ questions concerned how RWI work with their programs in other countries. Alejandro explained that RWI supports capacity building but never interfere in other countries’ affairs or monitor their human rights performance. Otherwise we would not be able to operate in countries where it is needed.
After a discussion about different legal systems Dr Fuentes recommended the International Law Commission’s report “Fragmentation of international law” finalized by Martti Koskenniemi. The report explains this issues and the phenomenon of diversification and expansion of international law in a good way.
The Master students are gathered around the table
Other questions concerned the possibilities to get an internship at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Although this opportunity is also open for students coming from outside the region the chances to be selected are not very high for those that are not national of OAS’s member states. Additionally issues like insurance and economic guarantees are not so easy to solve. Dr Fuentes told us about the possibility to get an internship in related institutions, such as the Inter-American institute of Human Rights, as a former master student did in the past. Several associations offer internships but do not pay any salary. He concluded by encouraging the Students: -“One has to be creative, there are always opportunities.”
The cake is cut
Great thanks’ to Dr Fuentes for sharing his experiences and thanks to the Students for curiosity and joy. And finally special thanks to my niece Kajsa who baked the cake, it was delicious.
On Tuesday May 20 you have the oportunity to meet and discuss with Dr Christina Johnsson, Head of the Department for Research, Academic Education, Publications and the Library at RWI. See you in the Kitchen @3.00. This will be the final event in our series of research meetings this semester.
April Acquisitions
The Book Cart is full of new books. Take the opportunity to browse through our recent acquisitions.
Dr Miriam Estrada-Castillo met with students in the Library
Our second guest in the Library Kitchen was Dr. Miriam Estrada-Castillo. She is Visiting Professor and has been associated with the Institute since 2004. Dr Estrada-Castillo is a well-respected Lawyer with extensive experience in many different areas within the field of International Criminal Law, Constitutional, and Comparative Law, International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. She retired from the UN before becoming a visiting professor at the Institute. Her last position at the UN was acting as a legal and political adviser for the UN Security Council Counter Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) being also a member of CTED Human Rights group, the Focal Point for the UN Rule of Law Department, and the Gender Focal Point of the Organisation.
Miriam Estrada-Castillo visited the Library kitchen and gave rise to both laughter and reflection
Initially we were told the amazing story of Dr. Estrada-Castillo’s long and successful career in politics, law and human rights. She was born in Ecuador where she started her political career very early in life. She worked as a judge but did not fit in because of her fiery emotions. She was the Minister of Social Welfare and pushed through the first protected houses for vulnerable women. During her time as minister she wrote laws around family and minors. At age 40 she chose to leave the country and started a career at the United Nations serving the International Community. Among other things she contributed to the work of UN in East- Timor where she organized the Judicial Academy and served as international prosecutor.
A training for members of the Military Supreme Court of Colombia was the beginning of the cooperation with RWI and since two years Dr Estrada-Castillo is Visiting Professor at the Institute. She travels all over the world giving lectures in Human Rights and Gender and is responsible for the electable Course in the Master Programme.
-“Sometimes I get very upset at the United Nations and ask myself why countries continue to give their support. But after all at the end of the day the UN is the only place where the world can freely discuss and try to solve International issues.”
It takes courage and knowledge to fight for a better world and we are grateful that Dr Estrada-Castillo has dedicated her life to this work.
On Wednesday April 16 you have the oportunity to meet and discuss with Dr Alejandro Fuentes, Senior Researcher at RWI. See you in the Kitchen @3.00.
Informal meeting of researchers and students
Dr Radu Mares, Associate Professor at Raoul Wallenberg Institute
The first meeting between a researcher and master students became a successful event. Radu Mares was first out to share his experiences. He came to Sweden from Romania fifteen years ago to do the Masters programme at the Faculty of Law in Lund. After a year at a Law Firm in Bucharest he received a scholarship to write his doctoral thesis on the topic Human Rights, Business and Corporate responsibility. In 2006 he completed his dissertation Institutionalisation of corporate social responsibilities : synergies between the practices of leading multinational enterprises and human rights law/policy. Since 2007 Radu Mares has been responsible for the course Business and Human Rights at the Faculty of Law in Lund.
The students’ questions concerned issues like scholarships, the importance of internships, the possibilities of getting a job and the field of research. Radu Mares gave the students the advice to write an article based on their master’s thesis and try to get it published. He promoted The Social Science Research Network SSRN a multi-disciplinary online repository of scholarly research and related materials http://www.ssrn.com/en/ He gave the students the advice to try to find a special area for their research, to find a topic that no one else is dealing with. Finally Radu Mares invited the Students to make contact if they want to discuss matters related to the field of his research: “All doors at RWI are open, just knock.”
Next week on Tuesday April 8th @3.00 we welcome Dr Miriam Estrada-Castillo, visiting professor at the Institute.
Dawsonera maintenance work
On Saturday April 5 and Saturday April 12 between 8 and 11 AM maintenance work will be carried out on the platform Dawsonera.
While maintenance work is in progress the platform will not be accessible.
Meet a researcher
Let’s try something new. A meeting between students and researchers from Raoul Wallenberg Institute. Welcome to participate in a relaxed conversation. Bring your questions, get answers and maybe new questions. First up is Radu Mares, Associate Professor, on Tuesday, April 1 at 3 o’clock in the RWI Kitchen. Main topics of Radu Mares research are: Corporate responsibility, company law, business administration, regulatory theory, mining, value chain management, global governance. Fika will be served ten minutes before the conversation begins.
Most welcome!
Lotta answers... 