„Current Issues of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law from the Perspective of the Austrian Foreign Ministry” - Human Rights Fireside Chat with Ambassador Helmut Tichy

On Wednesday, November 16, Ambassador Prof Dr Helmut Tichy, Head of the International Law Office at the Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (BMEIA) and Legal Adviser of the Austrian Foreign Ministry, shared his broad expertise and perspective on current issues of human rights and international humanitarian law with this year's Human Rights Master participants and interested guests at the first Human Rights Fireside Chat.

What's a Human Rights Fireside Chat? This format continuously provides participants of the Human Rights Master program with the opportunity to directly engage in the discussion with leading human rights experts and outstanding personalities on pressing topics in the field of human rights and to gain valuable insights in up-to­date practice, its developments and challenges.

Following the instructive input of Ambassador Prof Dr Helmut Tichy on international and regional mechanisms of human rights protection and the principles of international humanitarian law, a variety of issues were addressed in the course of the discussion: The topics reached from remaining shortcomings of and obstacles for the system of human rights protection, Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine and the idea of an international tribunal specifically established to convict perpetrators of war crimes, as well as the work of the Human Rights Council and current and future challenges for human rights around the world upto the day-to-day work of a diplomate in Austria.

Start of the master program in 2022/2023

Welcome to the 2022/23 Human Rights Master! We are delighted about the successful launch of this year's Human Rights Master. To mark the occasion, the Postgraduate Center and the Scientific Director of the program, Prof Michael Lysander Fremuth, hosted a Welcome Event at Café Edison on the 22nd of October, 2022. It was a great pleasure to welcome many of this year's participants and lecturers of the Human Rights Master and to have a casual and enjoyable get-to-know-you evening at Edison! We want to take this opportunity to wish the participants exciting upcoming lectures and all the best and much success for this year's Human Rights Master!  

Moot Court Competition 2022

Please rise for this year's Human Rights Moot Court winners!  We congratulate the participants of the 2021/2022 Human Rights Master's Moot Court Competition for their outstanding performances! They were able to demonstrate their excellent rhetorical skills and shine through their technique of legal argumentation and solidity of content. In particular, we want to emphasize and congratulate this year's winners of the Moot Court, who were able to successfully face the already advanced pleadings of their opponents and finally convince the judges through their remarkable performance at the large jury court room of the Regional Court for Criminal Matters Vienna. In this regard, we want to particularly thank the President of the Regional Criminal Court, Mag. Friedrich Forsthuber, and Dr Ingrid Siess-Scherz (constitutional judge), for their participation in the Moot Court Competition in the function of the judges of the bench, which was chaired by the Scientific Director of the program, Prof Michael Lysander Fremuth.

Start of the joint sessions of the master program "Human Rights"

"Human rights are the birth-rights of all human beings, founded on the idea of equality and pre-state recognition, directed towards states and other bearers of public authorities, containing an obligation to respect, to protect and to fulfill, while claiming to be universal, inalienable, indivisible and interdependent."

On October 23rd Prof Dr Michael Lysander Fremuth, warmly welcomed the 26 participants (9 of them in the MLS program, 17 in the LL.M. program).

Together, the group explored the definition and essence of human rights during the first joint course session. Corresponding with the program´s motto "Where Science Meets Practice" our participants will not only study theoretical foundations and explore specialized human rights issues, such as Business and Human Rights, New Technologies and Human Rights, or Environmental Protection and Human Rights, but will also strengthen their practical skills important for human rights work.

 

Start of the master program

On October 1st 2021, our MLS students started their master program with an "Introduction to Legal Studies". Scientific director, Prof Michael Lysander Fremuth, welcomed the participants and held the first lecture on the topic of "What is law?".

Interview with Prof Dr Michael Lysander Fremuth

We interviewed the designated scientific director of the new postgraduate program, Prof Michael Lysander Fremuth, about his academic and professional background, as well as research focus areas, and more. 

Despite my passion for teaching human rights, I am convinced that this postgraduate program is unique as it combines the theoretical understanding of human rights with a practical approach to human rights work." - Michael Lysander Fremuth

Prof Dr Michael Lysander Fremuth

What is your academic/professional background?

I studied law at the University of Cologne, Germany, with a focus on human rights, public international law, EU law and constitutional law, as well as on legal philosophy and theories on statehood. I successfully participated in the Telders International Law Moot Court Competition and, later, became a Moot Court coach. In my PhD thesis I analysed the conception of supranationality exemplified by the European Union. My habilitation thesis deals with globalisation in relation to the conceptions of statehood and sovereignty. Human rights-related aspects played an important role in both works. As a visiting scholar or associated professor, I taught human rights at various universities, i. a. in the US, Russia, Turkey, South Africa and in Germany. Furthermore, I have tried to utilize my expertise and skills to support Amnesty International, as well as to contribute to the work of the United Nations Association of Germany, being a board member of the federal branch for a couple of years and as a co-founder and long-term president of the branch in North Rhine-Westphalia.

In April 2019, I was appointed Professor of Fundamental and Human Rights at the University of Vienna (Department of Constitutional and Administrative Law) and Scientific Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights.

 

What are your research focus areas?

Upon becoming a Professor of Fundamental and Human Rights at the University of Vienna and Scientific Director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights, I focused my research activities on human rights and human rights-related questions under constitutional, EU- and Public International Law. Among others, I address topics such as the general theory of human rights; human rights and the environment (climate change), artificial intelligence, international criminal law; as well as human rights and minorities.  

 

What is your motivation for taking on the scientific leadership of the postgraduate program “Human Rights”?

Despite my passion for teaching human rights, I am convinced that this postgraduate program is unique as it combines the theoretical understanding of human rights with a practical approach to human rights work. The involvement of highly motivated lecturers from all fields of human rights will offer an exceptional means to explore current and new challenges in the field of human rights. In this respect, the program will be the platform for meaningful and animated debate as participants and instructors come from diverse backgrounds and are, thus, able to share different points of view. At the same time, this postgraduate program will allow participants to acquire and improve practical skills that are beneficial when working in the human rights sector.

 

What can you recommend for people wanting to start getting educated in the field of human rights?

Let us start with raising awareness: Human Rights are truly everywhere! Think about the rights and freedoms that you enjoy on a daily basis, be it freedom of expression, the right to education or free movement. Understand and appreciate the privileges you enjoy in these times and in particular in Western Europe. Be sensitized with regard to the fragility of human rights and their protection and consider the situation in different parts of the world. In a next step, try to better understand the basic idea of human rights, look at and try to understand their history and genesis. Then, detect current challenges human rights face and consider what might be a potential solution. Finally, go to a library, browse some textbooks and read a couple of those that look attractive to you.

Interview with Prof Fremuth

Prof Michael Lysander Fremuth was interviewed with regards to his research and focus areas for the occasion of his inaugural lecture "Solidarität und Menschenrechte – Von Rechten und Pflichten. Und Tugenden." on October 20th 2021. Prof Fremuth is Professor for Fundamental and Human Rights at the Department of Constitutional and Administrative Law at the University of Vienna since 2019. You can read the complete interview (in German) here.

Meeting through Amnesty International Austria about the human rights situation in Belarus

On April 26th 2021 Prof Fremuth attended a meeting with Swetlana Tichanowskaja organized by Amnesty International Austria where they discussed i.a. the human rights situation in Belarus. Find further information here.

HUMAN RIGHTS TALK: "In Würde sterben? Suizidhilfe zwischen Lebensschutz und Autonomie"

If you missed the HUMAN RIGHTS TALK: "In Würde sterben? Suizidhilfe zwischen Lebensschutz und Autonomie" (in German) on April 22nd 2021 you can watch the online discussion with our scientific director, Prof Fremuth, here.

Prof Fremuth on education as a human right

Prof Fremuth spoke about education as a human right in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in an interview that can be read (in German) in this weeks' Falter news magazine (FALTER 09/2021 from 3.3.2021), which had a focus on the the topic of education. Find more information here.

Meeting with Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution, Karoline Edtstadler, and Prof Fremuth

Our scientific director, Michael Lysander Fremuth met with Karoline Edtstadler, Federal Minister for the EU and Constitution, to discuss the importance of human rights work as well as education and introduced the new Human Rights Master Program. This meeting highlights the multi-layered aspect of human rights and reflects our program's spirit: Where Science meets Practice! Find further information (in German) about the meeting here.

Ö1 broadcast program "Dimensionen"with Prof Fremuth

On February 9th 2021 Prof Fremuth spoke on the topic of crimes against humanity on the Ö1 broadcast program "Dimensionen". You can listen to the (German) audio "Verbrechen gegen die Menschlickeit - Geschichte und Aktualität eines Tatbestands" here.

Interview with Prof Fremuth

Watch an interview (in German) with Prof Fremuth in the ORF television program "Hohes Haus" from December 20th 2020 on the topic of corona and fundamental rights here.

Discussing consequences of the COVID-19 crisis

On December 10th 2020 there was a HUMAN RIGHTS TALK on the consequences of the COVID-19 crisis on human rights. After a keynote speeach by Dunja Mijatovic, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, high-level experts participated in the panel discussion and answered questions from the audience. You can watch the video here.

Prof Fremuth on the relevance of human rights during this time

Read an interview (in German) with Prof Fremuth from December 10th, Human Rights Day, regarding the current relevance of human rights in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic here.