Graduation Ceremony in European Studies 2024
On October 25, the annual graduation ceremony for European Studies students took place. Prizes were also awarded to those who wrote the best essays. Congratulations on your graduation, and we all wish you the best of luck in the future!
Winners of The Rutger Lindahl Award
This year's award winner: Johannes Milich
Johannes Milich was one of two Rutger Lindahl Award winners in 2024, for his master’s thesis Foreign Policy Divergence of Georgia and the Republic of Moldova in the Wake of Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine.
The jury's motivation
"This research offers an incisive and sharp analysis of the foreign policy strategies of two EU candidate countries, Georgia and the Republic of Moldova, in the rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape following Russia’s war in Ukraine. The research addresses a highly pertinent and pressing issue in contemporary international relations. The study is innovative in its theoretical contribution by refining the neoclassical realist framework with a multi-level analysis. By integrating leader perceptions, strategic culture, and the elements from Cantir & Kennedy’s (2015) multi-level framework, Johannes provides a nuanced understanding of the foreign policy decisions of small states. By combining elite interviews and text analysis, Johannes demonstrates strong methodological skills, as well as critical thinking, and depth of research. His ability to synthesize complex theoretical concepts with empirical data demonstrates significant academic excellence."
This year's award winner: Emma Hansen Klint
Emma Hansen Klint was one of two Rutger Lindahl Award winners in 2024, for her master’s thesis Othering in European Identity. The Nordic Social Democratic Press and the portrayal of Bolshevism and The Russian Revolution between 1917–1919.
The jury's motivation
"Emma’s thesis is a sample of excellent intellectual historical research at master’s level. It concerns the turbulent stage at the end of the First World War that not only changed Russia but had a great impact on the social democratic movements in the Nordic countries. The scientific problem, aim, and research questions are all very adequate, well set out, and offer a framework for a coherent qualitative discourse analysis. An ambitious section on previous research details the complicated international and national context that influenced news reporting while at the same time giving a general introduction to the reader.
The thesis focuses on the relationship between the Scandinavian social democracy and the Bolshevik revolution and how this interaction was an important part of Scandinavian orientation in and towards Europe. The research and contextualization of the findings in the historical situation is masterfully performed. The changing situation in Russia and the direction the Bolshevik rule takes, changes in the European political scene, and the national differences, give a vivid understanding of the development of social democracy in Scandinavia at the time."
More information: The Rutger Lindahl Award
Henrik och Karolina von Mentzers uppsatspris
This year's bachelor’s thesis award winner: Mikaela Karlsson
Mikaela Karlsson was the winner of the von Mentzer bachelor’s award for her thesis Intersektionalitet i EU:s jämställdhetsstrategier: En innehållsanalys av EU:s jämställdhetsstrategier mellan 2010–2025.
The jury's motivation
"The purpose of this bachelor’s thesis is to examine how intersectionality is presented in the EU’s gender equality strategies between the years 2010 and 2025, as well as to contribute to a deeper understanding of the EU’s work on gender equality. The introduction already captures the reader’s interest, leading to a clear purpose and precise research questions. Strong reasoning regarding the selection and clear delimitations allows Mikaela to analyze and present the material effectively, with an analytical framework that gives the study clarity and structure. Mikaela demonstrates a solid command of the method—qualitative text analysis—which she describes in detail and applies systematically. Overall, the thesis is very well-written, structured, and logically organized. It contributes new knowledge and presents a clear, original research contribution in a way that bachelor’s theses rarely achieve."
This year's master’s thesis award winner Philippe Schneider
Philippe Schneider was the winner of the von Mentzer master’s thesis award for his thesis Championing LGBTI rights while failing women’s rights: Unraveling the Maltese paradox in gender equality policies.
The jury's motivation
"This thesis meets high academic standards while it also tackles a crucial, under-researched issue – the so-called Maltese paradox, where Malta's progressive LGBTI rights sharply contrast with the severely restricted rights of women and girls. Philippe has conducted an exceptional intrinsic explanatory case study, drawing from multiple sources, including in-depth interviews with LGBTI and women’s rights experts and activists. The originality of the work also shines through in the sophisticated theoretical framework, which also contributes to the further theorization of the Southern gender regime. The Church does actively support LGBTI rights while remaining staunchly opposed to women’s rights, which according to the author is rooted in the extensive familialism characteristic of Maltese society. This innovative analysis provides new insights into the complex dynamics of gender equality not only in Malta but also in the whole European Union."
More information: Henrik och Karolina von Mentzers uppsatspris
Graduated Master's students
