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.
Lotta answers... 