A lawyer for missing people

Grażyna Baranowska joined FAU in 2024 as Professor of Migration Law and Human Rights. She aims to make a contribution to interdisciplinary research at the Center for Human Rights Erlangen-Nürnberg.

“I have always been fascinated by the variety of debates connected to human rights and the relevance of the topic for society,” explains Grażyna Baranowska. Her research focuses predominantly on missing people, human rights violations at borders and memory laws. She is particularly keen to link research to practical experience.

The researcher, who studied European Studies and Turkish in Poznań and completed a doctoral degree in Law in Warsaw, has plenty of practical experience. Most recently, Grażyna Baranowska led a Marie-Curie project on missing migrants at the Hertie School. Before that, she held several different positions, including one at the German Institute for Human Rights. In August 2022, she was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to the working group on enforced or involuntary disappearances.

FAU offers the ideal conditions

At FAU, the Professor for Migration Law and Human Rights will also conduct research at the Center for Human Rights Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU CHREN). She is particularly looking forward to this new challenge: “I am looking forward to making a contribution to research into regional, national and international developments in the area of human rights, together with colleagues from different disciplines.” FAU offers ideal conditions for human rights research: With its many years’ experience in this area, the University is in a unique position compared to others.

Grażyna Baranowska is continuing her research and teaching at the interface between international human rights and migration at FAU. She will provide support for law degree programs in the specialization “Fundamental and human rights” and will be responsible for the Refugee Law Clinic Erlangen-Nürnberg. It is important to her that students have the opportunity to gain international practical experience, for example by becoming involved in studies and statements for the United Nations.

To the CHREN Contact

Author: Michael Kniess

This article is part of the FAU magazine

Innovation, diversity and passion: Those are the three guiding principles of our FAU, as stated in our mission statement. At FAU, we live these guiding principles every day in all that we do – in research, in teaching and when it comes to sharing the knowledge created at our university with society.

This, the second issue of our FAU magazine, underlines all of the above: It shows researchers who tirelessly keep pushing the boundaries of what has been believed to be possible. It introduces students who work together to achieve outstanding results for their FAU, talks about teaching staff who pass on their knowledge with infectious enthusiasm and creativity. And it reports back on members of staff with foresight and a talent for getting to the crux of the matter who are dedicated to improving the (research) infrastructure at FAU as well as people in key positions who are there for their university and are committed to its research location.