Research Platform Human Rights in the European Context

In February 2008, the research platform Human Rights in the European Context was established at the University of Vienna. It assembles academics of 12 departments of the University of Vienna with the purpose of strengthening the inter-disciplinary research on the topic of Human Rights in Europe.

The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Human Rights serves as the platform’s centre of communication and coordination.

Objectives:

The interdisciplinary Research Platform Human Rights in the European Context aims at generating knowledge beyond the framework of individual disciplines and faces new research questions with interdisciplinary, in particular trans-disciplinary methods, specifically by making use of the
“Human Rights Based Approach“. Thus, it is intended to function as a human rights think-tank.

The platform will carry out inter-disciplinary and policy oriented background studies and research projects on various topics related to European human rights policies which shall inform and feed into current debates.

Besides the core group, the Platform has the function of a hub for a network of researchers from all involved academic disciplines. These additional researchers are included in the elaboration and implementation of projects emerging from the Platform’s activities – according to their individual expertise. Eventually, the joint resources of the Platform are resulting in the “Networking of Networks” which on the one hand ensures a broad coverage of sources, and on the other hand guarantees the wide-spread dissemination of the working results into the discourses of the participating academic disciplines.

A particular focus is being put on a synergetic linkage of project implementation and output in terms of dissertations and postdoctoral research work. Thus, the Platform provides younger researchers with an opportunity to carry out inter-disciplinary research projects under the joint supervision of senior researchers from all relevant disciplines.

(http://human-rights.univie.ac.at/)