Max van der Stoel Human Rights Award

Background

In 1995, Tilburg University decided to introduce a Human Rights Award for academic publications in the area of human rights, with a view to draw more attention to this field of study in academic education and research. In 2002, the award was renamed the Max van der Stoel Human Rights Award in honour of the Dutch Minister of State, first OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities and former UN Rapporteur on human rights in Iraq, Mr. Max van der Stoel. In 2019, it was decided that the Tilburg Law School and the Netherlands Network for Human Rights Research (NNHRR) would jointly organise the Max van der Stoel Human Rights Award on a bi-annual basis, starting in 2019.

Nominations for this award can be submitted by all faculties linked to universities in the Netherlands and the Flemish community, as well as the Asser Institute (as the coordinator of the NNHRR).

Eligible candidates

The award is conceived as an incentive award for junior researchers, and the nominations are limited to graduate, pre-doctoral, and post-doctoral researchers. Senior academic staff cannot compete. Awards are presented in two categories:

  • Category 1: Best doctoral dissertation
  • Category 2: Best Master thesis

Each faculty can nominate only one candidate in each category. The total prize money is €4,000, to be distributed as indicated by the jury.

Criteria

‘Human rights’ are conceived of in a broad sense, to include such traditional human rights as the right to free speech and the right not to be tortured, as well as social and economic rights, such as the right to food, housing, education, and health care. Publications may also look at human rights enjoyment by specific groups, for instance through the lens of gender, age, or ethnicity, or human rights in specific situations, such as emergencies and during or after violent conflicts. Studies can focus as well on human rights procedures, institutions, and other forms of implementation, monitoring, and enforcement. They may be theoretical in nature or based on empirical research.

To be eligible for nomination:

  • Doctoral dissertations must have been defended between 1 July 2023 and 1 June 2025.
  • Master theses must have been defended between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2025.
  • Only manuscripts written in Dutch or English will be considered.

Submission Procedure

Candidates or nominators must inform their faculty board of their intended submission in due time. Each faculty can nominate only one candidate in each category and nominations will be made according to the faculty’s internal procedures.

Requirements for doctoral dissertations:

  • Each applicant must submit a PDF version of their dissertation, together with a nomination letter signed by the relevant authority at the faculty level by 1 July 2025 via email to nnhrr@asser.nl, with the subject heading “PhD Nomination: Max van der Stoel Human Rights Award 2023”. The thesis or letter of nomination should clearly indicate the names of the doctoral supervisor(s) and dissertation committee, as well as the contact details of the candidate.
  • The Prize organizers reserve the right to request printed copies of the dissertations at a later stage. Faculties and nominees will be informed about the procedure for this around the beginning of September 2025.

Requirements for Masters theses:

  • Each applicant must submit a PDF version of their master's thesis, together with a nomination letter signed by the relevant authority at the faculty level by 1 October 2025 via email to nnhrr@asser.nl, with the subject heading “Masters Nomination: Max van der Stoel Human Rights Award 2025”. The thesis or letter of nomination should clearly indicate the names of the thesis supervisor(s), as well as the contact details of the candidate.
  • The Prize organizers reserve the right to request printed copies of the dissertations at a later stage. Faculties and nominees will be informed about the procedure for this second submission around the middle of October 2025.
Category Defence Submit before
Doctoral dissertations Between 1 July 2023 and 1 June 2025 1 July 2025
Master theses Between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2025 1 October 2025

Jury

All manuscripts will be evaluated, and the award winners selected by an international jury that has been assembled by Tilburg University and the Steering Committee of the NNHRR. This year’s members of the jury are TBC.

Presentation

The date and time of the Max van der Stoel Human Rights Award 2025 will be communicated here and through our Newsletter in due course.

Additional information

For more information, please contact Ms. Enora Perrot at nnhrr@asser.nl.

Coordinated by

Tilburg University Logo Asser Institute Logo Tilburg University Logo