Emanuel V. Towfigh was recently appointed a Max Planck Fellow by Patrick Cramer, President of the Max Planck Society. The Fellow Program is intended to strengthen the links between universities and Max Planck Institutes and thus connecting outstanding university professors to the Max Planck Society.
In this role, Emanuel V. Towfigh will head the newly founded »Center for Diversity in Law« at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law (MPIL) in Heidelberg, which is funded by the Mercator Foundation. The Center will officially begin its work in February 2025. Preparations are already in full speed—among other things, the first positions have been published.
Under the leadership of the newly appointed Max Planck Fellow Towfigh, the Center is dedicated to researching and promoting diversity in the legal system. The aim of the project is to improve access to justice for marginalized and underrepresented groups through empirical and legal doctrinal research, networking and international exchange. The focus here is on the advancement of people of color, women and religiously or socially disadvantaged people. At the same time, the Center will research how acceptance and legitimacy of the constitutional and democratic order can be strengthened through greater diversity in the legal system.
A central focus of the Center is the investigation of structural inequalities in the legal system and the removal of barriers in order to promote access to justice for all. In addition, the Center will serve as a platform for exchange between academia, legal practice and civil society. Specialist conferences and workshops are planned, as well as a series of publications and discussion papers.
To implement these ambitious plans, the Center will build up a team that includes a post-doctoral position and two doctoral positions. The job advertisements have just been published and the Center is looking forward to receiving applications! Work in Heidelberg is scheduled to begin on February 1, 2025.
The center is funded by the Mercator Foundation, which is committed to sustainable development and equal opportunities.
To the article on the foundation at MPIL:
[Translated by DeepL]