News and Insights

Lecturers and Experts

You can find information about the experts and lecturers of the master's program here.

Transitional Justice – Human Rights Fireside Chat with Judge Dr. Claudia Fenz

On Wednesday, June 19th, 2024, we had the honor of hosting Judge Dr. Claudia Fenz at our latest, and for this summer term last, Human Rights Fireside Chat.

The evening was centered around the theme "Transition Justice: ‘In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.’ (A. Einstein)". Judge Dr. Fenz shared her invaluable insights into the complexities and realities of transitional justice, drawing from her extensive experience as a judge at the Khmer Rouge Tribunal (ECCC) in Phnom Penh. The participants of the Human Rights Master engaged in a lively discussion, exploring the field of international criminal law and transitional justice with one of the field's leading experts.

We thank Judge Dr. Claudia Fenz and everyone participating for an enlightening evening.

Moot Court Competition 2024

We are excited to announce the successful conclusion of this year's Moot Court Competition on June 15^th, 2024, and congratulate all participants for their impressive performances and commitment throughout the competition.

During this summer term, the Human Rights Master participants had the opportunity to enhance their advocacy, legal research, writing, and oral pleading skills by engaging with the presented case and collaborating closely with their peers. The finalists demonstrated their excellent legal argumentation techniques and oral presentation skills arguing their cases before the judges of the bench, President of the Regional Criminal Court, Mag. Friedrich Forsthuber and Ass.-Prof.ⁱⁿ Dr.ⁱⁿ Mag.^a Ingrid Mitgutsch, and the Chair, Program Director, Prof. Dr. Michael Lysander Fremuth.

Their remarkable performances in the final round set them apart – we congratulate the winners of this year’s Moot Court Competition, Franca Zeppetzauer and Rinor Gjergji!

A special thank you goes to the dedicated lecturer and trainer of the Moot Court Module in our Master Program, Konstantina Stavrou!

Prison visit to Justizanstalt Graz-Jakomini

This year as part of their courses, our Human Rights master's participants visited Justizanstalt Graz-Jakomini with lecturer Philipp Hamedl, gaining firsthand experience into prison conditions and challenges on site. They learned about the daily realities of imprisoned persons and prison staff. This visit deepened the understanding of the Austrian criminal justice system and the importance of advocating for persons in a situation of vulnerability.

UN Excursion 2024

On March 15th, 2024 the participants of the LL.M. program visited the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna. This excursion provided them with valuable insights into the work, visions, and goals of the UN. They explored the historic building, including the conference rooms. Moreover, they had the privilege of meeting with an expert from UNIDO, who delivered an enriching lecture to the students.

"Austria's International Human Rights Advocacy?" - Human Rights Fireside Chat with Ambassador Helmut Tichy

On Wednesday, January 17^th, 2024 Ambassador Professor Dr Helmut Tichy, former legal adviser of the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA), shared his broard expertise in the area of international law and diplomacy with the participants of the master's program "Human Rights" during the Human Rights Fireside Chat.  Ambassador Tichy delved into the topics of the practice of international law and international organizations, in particular the Austrian state practice.

During the Human Rights Fireside Chat participants of the "Human Rights" master's program get the opportunity to engage in discussions with exceptional experts and personalities on current topics in the field of human rights. Within this casual and informal setting, valuable insights, developments, and challenges of the discussed topics are shared.