PhD Programme "Human Rights, Society, and Multi-level Governance": Doctoral candidates of the 37th cycle succesfully defend their thesis, 20 March 2025
On March, 20th 2025, PhD candidates Carlos Arturo Gutierrez Rodriguez, Carlotta Rossato e Katarina Velkov of the PhD programme "Human Rights, Society, and Multi-level Governance" succesfully defended their thesis, at the Human Rights Centre "A. Papisca" headquarters at Polo Beato Pellegrino, University of Padova.
The PhD thesis defence took place in front of the exam commission, composed by Prof. Paolo De Stefani, University of Padova; Prof. Christophe Maubernard, University of Montpellier; Prof. Magdalina Ratajczak, University of Wroclaw; Prof. Lemmens Koen, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven e Prof. Sara Pennicino, University of Padova.
Dr. Carlos Arturo Gutierrez Rodriguez defended his thesis entitled "Doing justice for peace: Victims' Rights and Memorial Justice in the Colombian Transitional Process" under the supervision of Prof. Sara Pennicino. His research provided a comprehensive analysis of the innovative use of memory as a form of restorative sanctions in Colombia's peace process, offering valuable insights for future transitional justice.
Carlotta Rossato defended her thesis entitled “Exploring the Contemporary Practice of Universal Criminal Jurisdiction: Institutional Frameworks and Survivors’ Access to Justice" under the supervision of Prof. Paolo De Stefani. Her work critically examined the principle of universal jurisdiction in international criminal law, with a particular focus on its practical application and its impact on survivors' access to justice, through two case studies on The Gambia and Syria.
Dr. Katarina Velkov, supervised by Professor Odysseas Christou, presented her dissertation titled "Past Actions, Present Obligations, Future Justice: Reimagining Responsibility in Climate Migration Governance." Her pioneering research fosters forward-looking perspectives for addressing climate-induced migration, incorporating principles of human rights and climate justice.
With the successful defense of their dissertations, Dr. Gutierrez Rodriguez, Dr. Rossato, and Dr. Velkov have been conferred their doctorates in Human Rights, Society, and Multi-level Governance. The Human Rights Centre of the University of Padova extends its congratulations to the new doctors and wishes them continued success in their future academic and professional commitments.
This accomplishment not only represents a personal milestone for the candidates but also underscores the University of Padova's commitment to fostering innovative research in the fields of human rights on an international scale.
