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Staff members with discipline Law, Multidisciplinary Approaches

Academia develops at the interface of different fields. This is one reason why the University of Groningen is home to a wide range of fields, each with a great number of subject specialists. The overview below, which is based on a standard categorization of fields, will help you find the right expert for each field. If you cannot find the expert you are looking for in this list, try searching via a related field or faculty; you may find him or her there.

Overview of all disciplines

International Health Law, Disability Law, Mental Health & Human Rights Law
N. (Natalie) Abrokwa, LLM
Contact
natalie.abrokwa rug.nl
Function
PhD Candidate
S.E. (Saide Esra) Akdogan, LLM
Contact
s.e.akdogan rug.nl
Function
PhD Researcher
Legal socialization, legal literacy, narrative studies, prison studies
G.A. (Gonzalo Albornoz barra) Gonzalo Albornoz Barra, MA
Contact
g.a.albornoz.barra rug.nl
Function
PhD student
Information Policy

Technology Law

Data Protection Law

Cybercrime

Privacy

Security Sciences

Internet Governance

Privacy, communication technologies and indigenous peoples
J.A. (Joseph / a.k.a. Joe) Cannataci, Prof Dr
Contact
j.a.cannataci step-rug.nl
Function
Chair in European Information Policy & Technology Law
dr. L. (Lea) Diestelmeier
Contact
l.diestelmeier rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor
L.E. (Lauren) Elrick, LLM
Contact
l.e.elrick rug.nl
Function
Lecturer/PhD Researcher
M.O. (Marcu) Florea, LLM
Contact
m.o.florea rug.nl
Function
Colombian lawyer, currently working as an Assitant Professor of Law at Groningen University. Lorena has received her Ph.D. in the program of Individual Person and Legal Protections at the Scuola Superiore Sant`Anna (Italy). Lorena is fascinated by the newest technologies and the way that they affect consumers and the market in general. She was previously an Assistant Professor of Private Law at Los Andes University in Bogotá (Colombia) where she taught commercial law (2019-2022), securities (2019-2022) and law and technology (2020-2022). As one the main projects, she develops the initiative named "The adoption of disruptive technologies (AI) in organizations through the creation and implementation of an ethical-legal toolkit". Throughout 2022, data and information collection was carried out by some AI projects that were being developed at the Universidad de los Andes in the CinfonIA group. Likewise, a book on disruptive technologies was coordinated and some pieces on AI in Colombia were written. In addition, she participated in the creation, design and implementation of the MOOC fAIr LAC on "How to make responsible use of artificial intelligence in the public sector". Also, she participated in the development of the MOOC on Introduction to Artificial Intelligence of the Universidad de los Andes with Coursera, which is part of the creation of the Master's Degree in Artificial Intelligence (MaIA) within which the design and creation of the module on Ethics in AI is directed. Thus, with the information collected an information file was created with qualitative and quantitative data to identify the basic principles of the toolkit, which was published in its Beta version on GECTI's webpage.
M.L. (Lorena) Flórez Rojas, PhD LLM
Contact
m.l.florez.rojas rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor in Technology Law (STeP)
Technology and Law, Cyber-Security Regulation, International Business Law, Investment Arbitration, European Law
B.A.M. (Bashar) Fteiha, LLM
Contact
b.a.m.fteiha rug.nl
Function

Alberto Godioli is Associate Professor in European Culture and Literature at the University of Groningen, and Programme Director of the Netherlands Research School for Literary Studies (OSL). He obtained his PhD in 2012 from the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa; from 2013 to 2015 he was a Newton International Fellow at the University of Edinburgh.

His main research field is humor and satire across media. He has authored the monographs Laughter from Realism to Modernism (Oxford: Legenda / Routledge, 2015) and La scemenza del mondo (Pisa: ETS, 2011, Edinburgh Gadda First Prize), as well as several articles and book chapters on theories and practices of humor from the 18th century to the present.

His current work focuses on humor and free speech jurisprudence, in dialogue with stakeholders such as Columbia Global Freedom of Expression and Cartoonists' Rights Network International. In 2021 he was awarded an NWO Vidi Grant for his project 'Humor in Court' (original title 'Forensic Humor Analysis', 2022-2027). This interdisciplinary project aims to set the basis for a fairer, more consistent approach to humor in legal cases concerning freedom of expression, based on insights coming from humanities-based humor research.

Alberto is also the founder and co-director of the Forum for Humor and the Law (ForHum) and of the OSL research group Literature, Law and Society, as well as the Principal Investigator of the NETIAS Constructive Advanced Thinking project 'Cartoons in Court' (main host: Institute for Advanced Study CEU Budapest, 2020-2023). His research areas also include Modernism, Law and Literature, Posthumanism, Narrative Theory and Cognitive Literary Studies.
A. (Alberto) Godioli, PhD
Contact
a.godioli rug.nl
Function
Associate Professor
My academic work and passion are dedicated to the overarching theme ‘Human Dignity in the Digital Age’.

I am interested in the transition from abstract principles (e.g. human rights, ethical principles) into more detailed and specific governance frameworks (e.g. human right to privacy into GDPR). With my background in law and philosophy I work in the department of Governance and Innovation at Campus Fryslân.

Current fields of research:

- Human Rights in the Digital Age.
- Emerging Technologies and Governance (incl. ‘AI’, ‘Blockchain’).
- Internet Governance.
- Privacy and Data Protection.
- (Cyber-)Security & Surveillance in the context of democracy and the rule of law.
- Digital Identity.
- Personal Data and Time (‘right to be forgotten’).
O.J. (Oskar Josef) Gstrein, Dr
Contact
o.j.gstrein rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor; Programme Director BSc Data Science and Society; Deputy Department Head Governance and Innovation; Campus Fryslân Data Research Centre
Energy and Climate Law, Emissions Trading
M. (Manolis) Kotzampasakis
Contact
m.kotzampasakis rug.nl
Function
PhD student
Research: Artificial intelligence, business and human rights; International human rights law; Law and governance; Horizontal effect of international human rights law

Teaching: Public international law; International human rights law; Legal English
C.L. (Lottie) Lane, Dr
Contact
c.l.lane rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor of Public International Law
Project management, specially of EU projects
N. (Nati) Mansilla Ovejero, LLM
Contact
n.mansilla.ovejero rug.nl
+31 6 1158 4541
Function
EU Projects Manager
My research focuses on two areas of citizenship.
1. Rights and citizenship in the virtual world - I imagine virtual spaces as expanding geographies, where norms, values, and communities of digital citizens are evolving. Social media platforms have become an extension of our cultures, polity, and economy. Every day millions of people around the world redefine cultural norms, assert their political identities, and monetize the platforms for gainful living. But who determines the nature of rights (especially the nature of the right to freedom of expression) on these platforms? Can the platforms which are controlled by monopolistic tech companies, truly be a space of citizenship much less responsible citizenship? How does a digital citizen who lives in a bubble shape their worldview? How do they reach out for varied forms of information to form opinions? Can they burst the information bubbles that surround them? These are some of the questions I explore while simultaneously entering into the rabbit holes of disinformation, digitally generated social movements, and circles of hate.
2. Construction of citizenship in the real world, especially in geographies that are becoming uninhabitable due to climate change. This is a work that I started during my doctoral studies at Edinburgh, and I continue to look at both online and offline citizenship (especially the question of citizenship -exclusion, and 'othering') from the lens of vulnerabilities in the face of climate change.

Both these strands of the scholarship allow me to explore how our future societies will develop, and who humanity might forever leave behind.
R. (Ritumbra) Manuvie, Dr
Contact
r.manuvie rug.nl
Function
Docent
G.P. (Jeanne) Mifsud Bonnici, Prof Dr
Contact
g.p.mifsud.bonnici step-rug.nl
+31 50 36 37700
Function
Professor in European Technology Law and Human Rights
Human rights and labour law, Industrial relations, Trade unions, Social security, Privacy law, Cybersecurity regulation
M. (Michele) Molè, LLM
Contact
m.mole rug.nl
Function
PhD Researcher in Labour Law
IT law, privacy and data protection, cybersecurity, telecommunications law, international/European law, human rights law, humanitarian law, State responsibility, private military and security companies.
dr. E.V. (Evgeni) Moyakine, LLM
Contact
e.v.moyakine rug.nl
Function
Assistant Professor
M.T. (Margarita) Nieves Zárate
Contact
m.t.nieves.zarate rug.nl
+31 50 036 3457 3
Function
My research interest lies in the area of the legal and sociological questions surrounding IT Law.
mr. dr. M.H. (Mathieu) Paapst
Contact
m.h.paapst rug.nl
+31 50 36 35433
Function
Assistant professor
Brief Academic background Mando has received her Ph.D. from the University of Nottingham (UK) on the topic of fragmentation of international law. She is currently an Assistant Professor of International law at the University of Groningen. She was previously an Assistant Professor of International Law at Qatar University where she taught international law and human rights (2013-2016). She has taught as a visitor at many universities in the Middle East and the National University of Rwanda. She was the Lecturer of the Year (Faculty of Law, University of Groningen, 2017) making her the first woman, international member of staff and non-Dutch speaker to get this award in the Faculty of Law.   Research Interests
Mando researches in the areas of international law, human rights law and international technology law.

With regard to international law, she writes on interpretational and jurisdictional issues before international courts with a keen eye on comparing the practice of different international courts. She is particularly interested in African human rights law and the case law of the African Court of Human and Peoples’ Rights. Within the area of international technology law, she writes on the following topics:   human rights-based design and implementation of AI decision-making   international law & cybersecurity standards. human rights assessment of the use of new technologies, including issues of encryption, and digital ID systems  how international law-like standards are created and used to assess the work of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) in the domain names’ space  how human rights law may inform the design of Internet standards  Mando is currently working on the project “Making the hidden visible: Co-designing for public values in standards-making and governance” funded by the Dutch Research Council investigating the role of public values in the design of cybersecurity policy norms and standards for IoT. Practicing | Advising | Consulting Mando is a barrister and solicitor (Greece, 2006 - present) (currently non-practicing). She is also the legal advisor for Binary, a non-profit organisation on digital rights in Greece. Mando has advised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, and the Ministry of Interior of Qatar on Internet regulation and policy. She has given expert input to the UN Special Rapporteur on Privacy regarding the draft legal instrument on government surveillance and privacy and provided written comments. She was a participant to the Research Group on Human Rights Protocols Considerations (Internet Research Task Force) drafting human rights related guidelines to be considered by the engineering community when creating and updating Internet standards.
A. (Mando) Rachovitsa, PhD
Contact
a.rachovitsa rug.nl
Function
L. (Laura ) Ratniece, PhD
Contact
l.ratniece rug.nl
Function
Assistant professor
No picture available
Contact
alex.schuster rug.nl
Function
Human rights
Digital forensics 
Technology law 
Data protection 
R. Stoykova, PhD
Contact
r.stoykova rug.nl
Function
- Economic, social and cultural rights
- Indigenous rights and Aboriginal laws
- Human rights law (International, European and comparative)
- Cultural heritage/ art law (International, European and comparative)
mr. dr. V.M. (Vanessa) Tünsmeyer
Contact
v.m.tunsmeyer rug.nl
Function
Traffic law, cybersecurity law, civil liability, insurance, tech law. Comparative legal research.
dr. N.E. (Nynke) Vellinga
Contact
n.e.vellinga rug.nl
+31 50 36 35603
Function
Postdoctoral researcher
mr. G.M. (Max) de Vries
Contact
g.m.de.vries rug.nl
Function
PhD student
Legal aspects of sustainable production and consumption (in particular planned obsolescence), IT law (in particular sustainability), contract law (in particular consumer law), legal expert systems, legal research methods, the use of technology for educational innovation.
mr. T. (Tim) van Zuijlen
Contact
t.van.zuijlen rug.nl
+31 50 36 33171
Function
Lecturer / PhD Candidate
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