On 28 June 2021, undergraduate law students Jobitha Prince and Jaya Duignan gave a presentation on the topic of forced migration at the Judicial Studies Institute, Masaryk University, Czech Republic.
Jobitha and Jaya's presentations were based on the research they are conducting as participants in the Maynooth Summer Programme for Undergraduate Research (SPUR). As part of the SPUR programme, they are providing research assistance to Dr Bríd Ní Ghráinne on her forthcoming monograph entitled 'Internally Displaced Persons and International Refugee Law.' The monograph will be published in 2022 with Oxford University Press. The book focuses on the development of the international protection framework for Internally Displaced Persons, and to what extent this framework complements or conflicts with international refugee law.
Jaya has stated that: ‘The SPUR programme has been an excellent opportunity to gain a practical insight into academic research and has helped me to develop my skills, as well as the chance to participate in incredible opportunities, such as working on Bríd’s forthcoming monograph published by Oxford University Press, and presenting at a research seminar at the Judicial Studies Institute at Masaryk University, Czech Republic.’
Jobitha also highly recommends the SPUR programme:
‘I am grateful for having given the opportunity to work on this project. As we are currently seeing the highest number of displacement figures globally, I believe the outcome of this project will have a greater significance in recent times. It was a pleasure to present the contents of this project and understand different viewpoints on the subject. As well as that, it gave me a practical insight into what academic research involves. I have learned a lot over the past couple of weeks and I would highly recommend applying to the SPUR programme.’
More details about the SPUR programme are available here. Jaya Duignan and Jobitha Prince will begin their final year of the LLB in September 2021. Dr Bríd Ní Ghráinne is an Assistant Professor in International Justice at Maynooth University Department of Law.