Congratulations to Viola Fee Dreikhausen and Rouven Symank from the Department of Political and Social Sciences for receiving their doctorates in May 2023, after unanimous decisions from the Jury.
Viola Fee Dreikhausen defended her thesis entitled Planning for the Aftermath of Intervention Legitimacy, Transition, and the Design of United Nations Missions on 9 May 2023, while Rouven Symank defended his thesis entitled On Solidarity. Its Origins, Legacy, and Critique in Social and Political Thought on 18 May 2023.
The defence of Viola Fee Dreikhausen's thesis featured a lively discussion of her research with Examiners, Richard Caplan (University of Oxford), Sarah von Billerbeck (University of Reading), and Kalypso Nicolaidis (EUI School of Transnational Governance), as well as Dreikhausen's advisor, Jennifer Welsh. Dreikhausen's interviews with former high-level UN officials provided material for a discussion of how those who represent the organisation attempt to manage the difficult challenges and dilemmas that arise in contexts of peacebuilding, and how they interact with local actors on the ground in post-conflict settings. The thesis is an impressive study of the drivers for the patterns and effectiveness of UN action in post intervention countries. Will impartiality or self-determination concerns win-out?
Read Viola Fee Dreikhausen's thesis in Cadmus.
Rouven Symank defended his thesis on the idea and history of solidarity. It was a lively and vigorous defence, and Symank performed splendidly. He was pressed on issues including the connection between solidarity and genealogy, solidarity and colonialism, and solidarity and socialism. In each case, Symank displayed a sure command of the issues and their background. Everyone was very impressed.
Read Rouven Symank's thesis in Cadmus.