We are excited to recognize Fatima Aigbomian, a Ph.D candidate in political science, as the recipient of the Joseph Elston Graduate Research Award.
Fatima’s research explores the connection between international law and philosophical frameworks. She examines legal precedents to identify the courts' interpretations of international legal instruments and the theoretical and philosophical lenses they adopt.
Participating in the HRHA program "has been very useful and informative," she explains. "It has provided me with an understanding of the complex relationship between human rights and international politics, particularly with respect to the present UN human rights regime, the European Court of Human Rights, and other treaty-based institutions such as the International Criminal Court.”
Professor Courtney Hillebrecht's guidance helped her further her research, and the Dr. Joseph Elston Research Grant helped her attend the University of Oslo PluriCourts program.
Fatima explains how the discussions held during the PluriCourts summer school, especially those on the doctrine of margin of appreciation in the European Union, opened her curiosity on the extent to which the margin of appreciation might be used to justify a state’s discretion to constrain religious liberty among member-states of the EU.
“Exposure to the politics and legal framework of international human rights is empowering both from a career and personal perspective and is an all-encompassing education that practically puts the world stage and its politics right in front of you,” she said.
