This year again the Ombudsman rewards research works in the field of human rights
On 23 December 2022, the Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia again published a public tender for diploma, master’s, and doctoral theses in the field of human rights. With the invitation to submit works the Ombudsman encourages the research activity of students at all three levels of higher education in the field of human rights, with emphases on studying human rights in Slovenia and implementation of international and European standards of human rights into the Slovenian legal order.
A total of six candidates from Slovenia responded to the tender, who successfully defended their diploma, master’s or doctoral thesis in the period from 1 January to 31 December 2022 at a university or higher education institution in Slovenia or abroad. On 25 September 2023, Ombudsman Svetina awarded four of them with certificates of recognition at the premises of the Ombudsman’s institution.
“If we want to prevent the violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms, it is essential that we learn about them. This tender is only one of the ways to encourage the research of content connected to the respect of human rights, a path to knowledge for appropriate action,” stressed Svetina.
He expressed his satisfaction that this year again, a few individuals entered the competition who found it worthy and useful to closely examine the issues connected to human rights. The Ombudsman expects educational institutions to encourage students and PhD candidates even more broadly to contribute to the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms. “It is essential that we learn about rights, their development, and efforts for their establishment and preservation in relative peace, so that in crises we can act and protect them if they are endangered. It is crucial that with every new generation the values brought about by the understanding of human rights are given new meaning and cemented in the mindset of society, so that regression does not happen, but healthy progression instead,” also emphasised the Ombudsman at the second award ceremony.
All submissions were reviewed by an expert committee. Miha Horvat, Deputy Ombudsman and Head of the Centre for Human Rights, Dr Jože Ruparčič, Deputy Ombudsman, and Dr Simona Drenik Bavdek, Assistant Head of the Centre for Human Rights, assessed the originality of the topic, the comprehensiveness of the approach to the discussed topic, the expertise and the level of difficulty, the relevance of the work regarding the discussion around currency of human rights aspects in the Republic of Slovenia, and the general quality of the work.
They awarded first place in the category of master’s thesis to Katja Hočevar for her work entitled Social inclusion of adults with intellectual disabilities in local environment (Faculty of Education of the University of Ljubljana). Second place among the master’s theses is shared by Iza Thaler for the work entitled Legal options for regularisation of people without status after refusal of the asylum claim (Faculty of Law of the University of Ljubljana) and Sanja Čahuk with the work entitled The autonomy and dignity of a human at the end of life: legal and ethical dilemmas (Faculty of Law of the University of Maribor).
In the category of diploma thesis, first place goes to Nuša Filipović for her work entitled Vloga Varuha človekovih pravic v policijskih postopkih pridržanj[M1] (Police Academy, Police College, Ljubljana).
No doctoral thesis was entered for this year’s competition. At the event, prize winners briefly introduced their works, which will also be available in the Bežigrad Library in Ljubljana, where the Ombudsman opened a special Ombudsman’s Corner on 1 June 2022.
[M1]Tega diplomskega dela nikjer na spletu ne najdem. Je to zagotovo originalen naslov? Malce je nenavadno, da ga do zdaj še ne bi vpisali v cobiss.
