Undergrad Receives UROP to Contribute to U’s Minnesota Model in Human Rights

Undergraduate Student Leah Schiffman Explored Collaborative Partnerships between Academic Researchers, Students, and Practitioners in the Field of Human Rights
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I was introduced to my Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) project in May of 2019 through my Human Rights Professor, Barbara Frey. It was through Professor Frey that I met my advisors, Amanda Lyons and Rochelle Hammer. Both Amanda and Rochelle introduced me to the Minnesota Model, which aims to address the methodologies and particularities of partnerships between academic researchers and practitioners within the field of human rights, including the joint training of students. There is an abundance of research involving partnerships between academic researchers and practitioners, mostly within the field of international development where researchers and practitioners work together to evaluate programs aimed at helping particular communities and individuals. However, there is not a significant amount of research on the methodologies, results, and ethics of such partnerships, especially in the field of human rights. 

Because of this, I was asked to sort through the articles pulled from previous search teams to help determine which articles were relevant. As I completed my research throughout the summer, I realized that a lot of the articles pulled from original searches didn’t discuss the specific relationships and methodologies that we were looking for. Because of this, I started to conduct my research which continued into the Fall. By the end of the Fall, I had completed my research and wrote a proposal to the other faculty working on the Minnesota Model. 

My participation in the Minnesota Model introduced me to the world of research. It gave me access to a world that I have not intensely explored, besides the few research papers I have written during my time as an undergrad. I discovered how to conduct research effectively through all of the articles I had to sort through. Additionally, I realized how important all aspects of research can be. My work will make the creation of the Minnesota Model possible. 

During my time working on my UROP project, I was able to find articles that focus on the methodologies and ethics of partnerships between academics, practitioners, and undergraduate students. The articles that I pulled and sorted through will hopefully give someone an idea of what to research next. Additionally, the research I started needs to continue and go more into depth to help further the creation of the Model. 

My work on the Minnesota Model goes hand-in-hand with what I am studying as an undergrad. I am double majoring in Political Science and Global Studies with a focus on Human Rights and Justice in Europe. I am very interested in human rights, specifically human rights law. While I might not be studying the methodologies that go into creating successful partnerships between human rights practitioners and academics, I know that this research will help me when I want to work with practitioners and/or academics in the human rights field. Additionally, I know that in whatever work I do in the future I will have to understand how to effectively conduct research. My time working on my UROP has allowed me to develop that skill. 

 

Leah Schiffman posing for a picture

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