A total of DKK 5 million have been granted by The Danish Social Science Research Council (FSE) to the three PhD students Caroline Adolphsen, Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen and Sandra Synková from the Department of Law at School of Business and Social Sciences. They can therefore look forward to a postdoctoral position each, where topics such as the use of force against minors, international humanitarian law and arbitration awards in Europe will be studied.

- All three projects are examples of current social issues. Therefore, the grants reflect that the researchers at the Department of Law address topics with broad social relevance, says Michael Steinicke, Head of the Department of Law.

Three out of 13 grants
This year, The Danish Social Science Research Council (FSE) has awarded 13 grants to various research projects. However, only the Department of Law at School of Business and Social Sciences has managed to receive three grants. Head of Department Michael Steinicke is very pleased with the number of grants:

- The grants imply that we have been able to implement some very good research projects. In my opinion, the grants reflect the vast amount of talent at the Department of Law, he says and continues:

- The grants also confirm that our systems in connection with postdoctoral applications actually work. Furthermore, the entire process has provided us with a great deal of experience that we can draw on in the future, says Michael Steinicke.

Caroline Adolphsen: The use of force against children and adolescents
Caroline Adolphsen has been granted DKK 1.76 million for the project entitled "The use of force and encroachment on the self-determination right of minors." In her project, she will investigate the rules of the use of force against children and adolescents in schools and day care centres and in the health care system. This will enable her to assess how the rules work, and whether they should be altered.

- The grant allows me to work full time on my project. This means that I can concentrate on a subject of great interest to me, says Caroline Adolphsen.

Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen: International humanitarian law
Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen has been granted DKK 1.68 million for the project entitled "International Humanitarian Law Coming Full Circle – Towards a Merger of the Law of Non-International and International Armed Conflict". Her project will focus on the relationship between the rules of international armed conflict (war between several states, Ed.) and non-international armed conflict (civil war, Ed.). The study will enable her to assess whether the legal development points in the direction of a joint set of rules for both types of armed conflict.

Sandra Synková: Practice of arbitration in four EU member states
Sandra Synková has been granted DKK 1.92 million for the project entitled "Domestic and harmonised legal solutions to the problem of irreconcilable judgments and arbitration awards in the European Union". In her project, she will compare the practice in four EU member states regarding the acknowledgement of arbitration awards issued in other EU member states. Such cases are often ineffective, and Sandra Synková will therefore present proposals on how to improve the current practice.

• Read more about the three grants here (only in Danish)

FACTS
In the autumn of 2011, the Department of Law was awarded two grants by The Danish Social Science Research Council (FSE). The two grants went to Thomas Neumann and Anders Nørgaard who have both helped ensure a high quality for the three applications that resulted in three grants this year. This means that the Department of Law has received five grants in the last two rounds, which is the largest number of grants awarded to a legal institution in Denmark.

• Read more about The Danish Social Science Research Council (FSE) here

Contact

Michael Steinicke
Head of Department
Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences
Department of Law
Tel.: +45 8716 5185
E-mail: micst@asb.dk
Web

Caroline Adolphsen
Master of Laws, PhD student
Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences
Department of Law
Tel.: +45 8716 5938
E-mail: ca@jura.au.dk
Web

Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen
Master of Laws, PhD student
Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences
Department of Law
E-mail: akp@jura.au.dk
Web

Sandra Synková
Master of Laws, PhD student
Aarhus University, School of Business and Social Sciences
Department of Law
Tel.: +45 8716 5927
E-mail: sandra@jura.au.dk
Web