Foreign Policy: a Challenge for European Governance? 
Crippling Russia’s War Economy: EU Sanctions, Loopholes and the Road Ahead 
What Happened to the Polish Left? An Analysis of the Party’s Ideological Development and Changing Electoral Base 
Struggle for Conservation of Slovenian Minorities in Austria, Italy and Hungary: Why does Multilateral Action Matter? Human Rights Working Group
Throughout this term, the members of the Human Rights WG are committed to reinforce the advocacy role that characterises the EST as an organisation. Given the intersectional nature of our topic, we are willing to boost our capacity to act as the connection between all the EST WGs. We strongly believe in the importance of analysing the reality of European affairs through a human rights perspective, combining our legal and political knowledge. However, human rights are found at the crossroads of multiple topics such as reproductive health, forced mobility dynamics or institutional racism, to name a few. In this regard, we advocate for the added value of joining efforts with the rest of WGs, each of us bringing our own perspectives for a more comprehensive research. We are equally conscious about the fact that our articles and policy briefs might contain complex vocabulary and concepts, making their access more difficult to a wider audience. This is the reason why our aim is to complement our research with other materials, particularly through the creation of infographics and the participation in podcast episodes. Finally, as a way to reach a wider audience and create a deeper sense of community, we will promote the organisation of events in collaboration with other EST departments.
Leah Rea – Head of the Working Group
Leah is a scholarship PhD Researcher in constitutional law, international human rights law, and legislative studies at Ulster University, Northern Ireland. She studied a Masters in Violence, Terrorism and Security, a Masters in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice, and a Law degree at Queen’s University Belfast, where she also served on a student human rights working group. Leah has experience in political, policy, and legislative monitoring and assessing state compliance with international human rights norms. She is interested in exploring constitutional human rights protections, and examining gaps between aspirational legal provisions for human rights and the practical reality of their access and enjoyment, especially minority and cultural rights. She is the facilitator of the University of Padova’s Model UPR 2023 and 2024, and was accepted to the NCAFP NI Emerging Leaders Program 2024. She is a scholarship candidate in the European Academy of Diplomacy’s Academy of Young Diplomats 2024.
Alimat Babatunde
Alimat Babatunde, a law student at University College Dublin, is committed to advancing human rights and political inclusion. Within her school community Alimat is a student ambassador and sits on the Academic Council on Student Appeals and Complaints . She promotes representation for marginalised communities through her roles as a board member of Diversity in Law, Ambassador for Diaspora Vote, and the inaugural Director for Diversity and Inclusion in the European Law Students’ Association. Alimat currently sits as a Board Member for the organisation Diversity In Law, pushing more opportunities to diverse students from different backgrounds. Alimat has contributed to EU migration policy discussions at the European Student Assembly and authored pieces on youth engagement in the 2024 EU election for the European Policy Centre and the current status of the right to freedom of Assembly for Ireland’s leading legal human rights platform, Activist Lawyer. Alimat also sits on the Student Advisory Panel for the activist network STAND. As Ireland’s 2024 Fulbright Undergraduate awardee, she studied civic engagement at Michigan State University.
Sankhaja Gunathilaka
Sankhaja is a researcher and a teacher originally from Sri Lanka. She completed her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Peradeniya and her Master of Human Rights at the University of Colombo. She was an intern at the Human Rights Commission, Sri Lanka. Her master’s thesis is on rights of children and Convention on the Rights of the Child. Apart from her career as a teacher, she volunteers at a charity organisation which strives to make an on-the-ground difference to those experiencing period poverty. She has obtained a diploma in Diplomacy and International Affairs and a certificate in International Relations. Her research focus is on child rights, women’s rights and gender equality policies including gender-based violence. Sankhaja is a member of the National Council of Women Victoria, UN Women Australia and UNAA Academic Network.
Elisée Monti
Elisée is an Italian student with a Bachelor’s degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences, currently pursuing a Master’s in Global Development and International Cooperation. Passionate about human rights advocacy, she explores topics like international law, counterterrorism, the political dynamics of the MENA region, as well as development challenges in the Global South. In addition to her academic pursuits, she advocates for environmental justice as a fundamental human right by volunteering with Greenpeace. Her commitment to social justice is further demonstrated through her internship at a Brussels-based consultancy, where she contributes to European projects that can promote integration and equity. Elisée envisions a career that merges international cooperation with impactful efforts to protect and advance human rights globally.
Tina Pirnovar
Tina Pirnovar holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Law (cum laude) from the University of Ljubljana. She excelled in moot court competitions and contributed to Transparency International’s whistleblower protection project in Slovenia. Tina participated in the Srebrenica Youth Summer School, Nottingham Trent University’s Global Summer School, and courses with the Oxford Climate Society and Earth Law Center. Her professional experience includes roles as an Associate and Legal Trainee at Wolf Theiss Attorneys at Law, Student Researcher at the University of Copenhagen, and legal support for Transparency International. She has authored legal publications on justice and human rights and is currently completing a court traineeship at the Ljubljana Higher Court.