This year's prize
The committee considered three theses for this year's prize:
- Aravindan Balasubramaniam: The Authority of Administrative Bodies to Process Special Categories of Personal Data to Prevent Algorithmic Discrimination
- Ellen Vrålstad: Rationalizing Rights Violations at the Borders - A Critical Analysis of the 2021 EU-Belarus ‘instrumentalized migration’ Case
- Sara Machado: Empty Words? Human Rights and Politics - Perspectives from Women in Institutional Politics in Brazil
In a statement to the Faculty, the selection committee said: "The committee has learned a lot from all three theses, each of which provides valuable insights into how law can help societies better manage equality, inclusion, or diversity. These are strong master’s theses with very different themes, disciplinary affiliations, and methodologies."
The prize was ultimately awarded to Aravindan Balasubramaniam for his contributions to research on AI and the many challenges it created for legal professions tasked with promoting law, equality, inclusion, and diversity. All three theses were celebrated for their quality, and for showcasing the diversity of the excellent research throughout the faculty.
The nominated NCHR students
We are proud of the excellent work done by our students in their research this year, and are happy to share the summaries of the two nominated students' theses, provided in the committee's award justification (translated from Norwegian):
Sara Machado
"Machado examines women's rights to participate in institutional and constitutionally-based politics in Brazil and whether women actually participate. She addresses the ongoing gap between rights and the actual democratic participation of women.
Brazil has now committed itself to adhering to the central UN-based human rights conventions that protect women's rights. There is a record-high participation of women in ministerial positions at 36.7%. Nevertheless, many women report experiencing structural discrimination when participating in political and democratic institutions and processes. To gain a better understanding of why there remains a gap between formal rights and women's participation and experiences, Machado interviewed women who have held positions as federal parliamentarians and women who have been members or candidates for city councils/commissions who have participated in and held institutional roles. The women report various forms of structural discrimination and resistance to their participation in the institutions. They also share accounts of other forms of discrimination they have faced.
The interviews indicate that there are still marginalized groups in Brazil that do not have their rights recognized, and that human rights legislation may be insufficiently implemented and practiced.
The committee notes that there is a bias in the selection of those interviewed, which may contribute to the strong criticism of continued barriers to women's democratic participation. This methodological issue is discussed and accounted for in the thesis. Nonetheless, the thesis addresses a central human rights issue that is not only relevant to Brazil. It highlights how the formal recognition of rights is important but not always sufficient to dismantle structural barriers that impede the genuine realization of human rights. Machado also sheds light on critical perspectives on human rights. The value of an intersectional perspective is well explained, thus promoting reflection and critical thinking. This is essential for human rights to more effectively respond to the complex challenges faced by marginalized groups such as women and minorities in practice."
Ellen Vrålstad
"Vrålstad's thesis concerns how the EU and Belarus in 2021 contributed to exacerbating a migration policy crisis at the border between the two territories by providing different presentations of the situations at the border regarding the nature of the migrants involved and the applicable rules. The EU claimed that Belarus constructed a false and exaggerated depiction of a migration crisis on their side for political purposes. In response, the EU closed its borders. The EU believed that its border closures were justified by Belarus's inaccurate representation of the situation.
The thesis demonstrates how both parties interpreted human rights rules regarding migration in ways that impeded the rights of migrants. The crisis was used politically while ignoring the concrete individuals affected by the border closure. Vrålstad shows how the parties' narratives, arguments, and policies influence how they interpret and apply their international human rights obligations, and how the differing positions of the parties affect each other. The thesis illuminates the complex and unforeseen roles of the law in defining challenges and legitimizing state choices."
A history of acknowledging NCHR students
2024 is not the first year our students have been considered for the prize. Our students have also been nominated in 2023 and 2024. In 2023, Maria Leal Lillo - who is a graduate of the Human Rights in Theory and Practice Master's programme - was awarded the prize for her thesis on rights awareness in circular migration. You can read more about Maria Leal Lillo's thesis and the award here.
Read more about this year's prize in the original article here (Norwegian).