Picture by Martin Ruiz Rueda, RUEDA STUDIO, www.ruedastudio.com
Each semester the Vienna Master in Applied Human Rights welcomes three to four young professionals, recent graduates or current students to assist with various tasks and projects. The Erasmus+ traineeship allows the PA’s to develop professional skills as well as focus on personal growth. As the winter semester of 2024 slowly approaches we would like to introduce everyone to our newest Program Assistants; Anne Pallonen, Ayesha Berglund and Rosa van Vliet (in order from left to right in the picture). This latest addition to the Vienna Master Team is welcome as our former Program assistants Marína Machalová, Bruna Galani da Silva and Lina Čop move on to new adventures. We thank them for this past semester and wish them all the best on their journeys.
For each cohort of Program Assistants communication and marketing, administrative tasks, academic coordination, project research, event organization, curricular excursions and trips are responsibilities the PA’s have the opportunity to take on. The tasks can change with the needs of the program as well as their understanding of how the program is organized deepens. With these tasks and responsibilities, they gain entry-level skills in project management and office work in an interdisciplinary work environment. Not only do they have the opportunity to acquire professional skills but they also get to research and delve into projects outside of their skillset. The program’s breadth of artistic courses and theoretical courses such as Cinema and Human Rights, Artistic Freedom, the Anti-Torture Cluster course and a Postconflict course with a focus on Kosovo invites curious PA’s willing to broaden their view of the arts and human rights.
The Program Assistants are excited to meet the permanent staff, and students and grow along the evolving space that is the Vienna Applied Human Rights program. Through feedback sessions, prospective situations and needs from the program will be ways for the PA’s to grow in their professional roles and personal lives. They hope to learn what is needed to manage a versatile work and academic space in the master’s program. Building team and individual confidence are collective goals for them, these qualities will be refined and used to strive during the traineeship. The Program Assistants come from different academic and personal backgrounds. They believe their differences will guide them forward, complete gaps and build a working environment where they can learn every day.
Anne
I come from Helsinki, the capital of Finland. After living for about a year in Switzerland, I started my studies at the University of Helsinki in the bachelor program of Cultural Studies. After a difficult choice between majors, I chose Middle Eastern Studies. The most inspiring thing for me in my studies is to create a deeper understanding of the area and its particularities and complexities. As a curious and eager person I like to learn new things, I also appreciate the multidisciplinarity of my studies, which creates an opportunity to combine some of my many interests: politics, culture, history, societies, languages, and religion. As I am at the end of my master’s studies, working as a program assistant in the very inspiring Vienna Master of Applied Human Rights and Arts is nothing short of a delight.
My interest in human rights comes not only from my studies but also from the first internship I accomplished in a Finnish Non-governmental organization. The NGO addresses many social issues in Finnish society concerning migration, integration, and children’s rights. My interest in the arts comes mostly from my deep interest in cultures and my hobbies. All that being said, I gladly embrace the opportunity to pursue my passion and further my skills at the Master of Applied Human Rights and Arts. During this internship, I look forward to meeting inspiring people from different backgrounds who share the same interests. I am particularly looking forward to learning more about the intersection of human rights and the arts. Personally, I think art holds an important role in advancing human rights and education. I am excited to live the next six months in Vienna, a city full of art, surrounded by the warm-hearted community of the Vienna Master.
Ayesha
I am pursuing my bachelor’s degree in the Liberal Arts program at the University of Gothenburg. The program, similar to Vienna Master in Arts and Human Rights, is interdisciplinary with courses in classical languages, language tools, natural sciences and theory of education. The program gives insight into “big questions” and issues from multiple courses. There is always a philosophical view in every module based on the classical humanism of ancient Greece and Rome. We have jumped from a language tools course that taught me about different “impairments” and challenges languages present to a module in cognition and consciousness with courses in consciousness philosophy and neuroscience that changed my perspective on life and people.
I have become more empathetic to my surroundings since finishing these courses. They have shined a light on porosity, and transmission of knowledge and the neuroscience course was very revealing about humans. All the different courses I have taken have substantially furthered my need for unification and community. While we had our prep course for applying to internships it was clear from my background in arts and my bachelor’s that my internship had to intersect with the two. Thus, finding the VMAHR was a perfect fit for my personal and educational requirements. During this traineeship, I am excited to gain a deeper understanding of the program’s combination of artistic disciplines and human rights. This combination and unique workspace are congruent with my plans to be part of community outreach programs that implement art as a central way to unite and educate.
Rosa
I grew up in a small town near one of the most important cities in the world when it comes to justice and peace; the Hague in the Netherlands. Growing up I have been very passionate about arts and attended many theater and dance classes. In high school, I was even part of the theatre class, where I received training in theatre, dance, and singing. For my Bachelor’s degree in International Development, I moved to Wageningen. There I joined my studies association and the student rowing association. After receiving my bachelor’s diploma, I took a gap year. This year was filled with work, travelling, and a couple of months of volunteer work in a refugee camp in Athens. After this year I decided to pursue a master’s degree in Nijmegen at the Radboud University. I first followed a pre-master program in Political science. Currently, I am pursuing my master’s degree in Political Science specializing in Conflict, Power, and Politics. Aside from studies at Radboud University, I have become a board member of the student desk of the Red Cross in Nijmegen and participated in an Honors program.
The courses from my Bachelor’s and Master’s and my experiences during my volunteer work have fuelled my passion for human rights. However, on my educational path, I have always been searching for a way to include more of my creative passions. So, when I came across this internship opportunity, I immediately knew I wanted to apply. I strongly believe in the aim of this program and am inspired by the connection between human rights education and arts. Human rights and arts are intrinsically interwoven, I don’t think they can ever be truly viewed as separate. I am very excited about the experiences and knowledge that this internship will grant me. After my master’s, I aim to apply for work in human rights, humanitarianism and international development, and I believe this internship to be a perfect step towards that goal. I am interested in engaging in the new perspective of human rights and arts that this program will no doubt give me.
To close out we asked the PA’s where their interests lay.
First of all, they all enjoy being anywhere outside exploring, flea markets, movies, books and sports. Anne specifically enjoys various outdoor sports and grew up playing basketball. She also likes discovering new places and photographing. As for Rosa, she enjoys dancing in the styles of hip-hop and modern, reading and drawing in her sketchbook. In Ayesha’s free time, she likes to edit videos she has captured and 3D modelling. Finally, they would like to say they are very excited to meet you all and want you to feel free to contact them with any questions or concerns.