On 16 December 2025, we had the pleasure of attending the Lecture and Award Ceremony of the Hanneke Steenbergen Thesis Prize at the Faculty of Law, University of Groningen.
The programme featured an engaging lecture by Cassandra Lange (Council of State) on “The growing influence of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in migration law”, followed by a lively discussion with the audience.
The afternoon continued with the thesis award ceremony, where shortlisted nominees presented their research through short pitches. The nominated theses addressed pressing issues in European and international migration and asylum law, including EU border procedures, non-refoulement, gender-based persecution and fundamental rights protection.
From Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, we were pleased to be represented by Sarah Pfeiffer and Romy Baptist (ACMRL) and Fardowsa Aden (Staats- en Bestuursrecht).
Many thanks to the organisers for a well-curated and inspiring event and for fostering dialogue between research, practice and education.