The prize has been awarded today at the Federal Foreign Office in honour of former Hertie School president. The winner is Vladislava Stoyanova, political scientist Phillip Ayoub receives the jury's honourable mention.

This year, the Franco-German Henrik Enderlein Prize for academic excellence went to legal scholar Vladislava Stoyanova. The human rights expert from Lund University (Sweden) received the award for her excellent research on European migration, the rights of refugees and the fight to curb human trafficking. In an honourable mention, political scientist Phillip Ayoub has received the jury's commendatory recognition. The professor at University College London (United Kingdom) studies marginalised populations and their advocacy groups. The prize has been awarded tonight in a ceremony at the German Federal Foreign Office, in the presence of the Commissioners for Franco-German Cooperation in the German and the French government, State Minister for Europe and Climate Anna Lührmann and Secretary of State for European Affairs Laurence Boone.

The Henrik Enderlein Prize is endowed with 10,000 euros and was jointly established in 2022 by the Hertie School, Sciences Po University in Paris, the German Federal Foreign Office, and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. This year, the award ceremony took place at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin.

Excellent research meets practical relevance

Professor Stoyanova and Professor Ayoub were selected by an international jury chaired by Cornelia Woll, President of the Hertie School. The jury was convinced not only by the scientific excellence of the two researchers’ work, but also by its practical relevance.

Prof. Cornelia Woll, President of the Hertie School and President of the Jury, says:
“With her critical research on the legal concerns of refugees in the context of European migration policy, Vladislava Stoyanova contributes to the research and practice of pressing, contemporary challenges for Europe. For her extraordinary commitment at the interface between academia and policy, I warmly congratulate her on behalf of the entire jury.”

Matthias Vicherat, President of Sciences Po University in Paris, said:

“The Henrik Enderlein Prize is at the heart of Sciences Po's ambition, as an international university which is open to the world, to make Europe one of the priorities of its teaching and research. Congratulations to Vladislava Stoyanova and Phillip Ayoub for their work, which makes a major contribution to the European public debate.”

Minister of State for Europe and Climate Anna Lührmann said:
“A strong European democracy has the task to protect the rights of migrants and marginalised groups. For this purpose, the work of Vladislava Stoyanova and Phillip Ayoub gives important impulses.”

French Minister of State for Europe Laurence Boone:
“An ardent supporter of the European cause and a fervent friend of France, Henrik Enderlein would be happy and proud to see this prize in his memory awarded for this work on subjects where our collective, responsible and united action as Europeans is essential”.

Focus on human rights and politically underrepresented groups

Vladislava Stoyanova is Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law, Lund University, Sweden. Her research focuses on the European Union’s asylum and migration policy. She has also published on issues related to human trafficking in the EU and the role of the Istanbul Convention in protecting women from gender-based violence.

Phillip Ayoub is Professor of International Relations at University College London. Ayoub's research focusses on the influence and rights of politically underrepresented groups such as the LGBTQI community and women. A particular focus of his work lies on transnational social movements. He has also published on gender equality policy during Angela Merkel's chancellorship, upholding the human rights of queer individuals, and LGBTQI activism within the European Union.

About the Henrik Enderlein Prize

The Henrik Enderlein Prize is endowed with 10,000 euros and is awarded to young social scientists under the age of 40. The work of the prize winners demonstrates scientific excellence and provides a concrete contribution to public debates on the future of Europe. The Henrik Enderlein Prize is named in honour of the Hertie School’s former president, who was a strong advocate for Europe.

Jury members include Jury President Professor Cornelia Woll, President of the Hertie School; Jean Pisani-Ferry, Professor of Economics at the European University Institute/Florence and Sciences Po/Paris; Dorit Geva, Professor of Sociology and Social Anthropology at the Central European University Budapest/Vienna; Jakob Vogel, Director of the Centre Marc Bloch and Professor of History at Sciences Po University/Paris; Sergei Guriev, Professor of Economics at Sciences Po/Paris; Prof. Thurid Hustedt, Dean of Graduate Programmes at the Hertie School; Dimo Böhme, Deputy Commissioner for Franco-German Cooperation at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Léonor Guy, Deputy Commissioner for Franco-German Cooperation at the German Federal Foreign Office.

Press contact

Hertie School
Alina Zurmühlen, Associate Press & Public Relations
+49 (0) 30 259 219 – 246
pressoffice@hertie-school.org

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