János Fiala

September 28, 2015

János has always been interested in minority rights, but after beginning his studies at CEU, he developed a specific interest in disability rights and the rights of detainees. Since studying at CEU, Janos has been a human rights lawyer in various positions and disciplines, being driven by a mission to “improve the world” as he puts it. Currently, János is a Lecturer at the School of Law at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Meanwhile, he practices human rights law and international litigation.

He praises the CEU for their interactive style of lectures, saying he was surrounded by “a community of likeminded peers in an inspiring atmosphere that fosters critical thinking.” Within this setting, “the discussions were endless; they started in the classroom, continued in cafes, and were picked up in a different classroom the next day,” a way of living which he wishes had “never ended.” Accordingly, János encourages current and prospective students to consider their classmates to be just as important to their education as their teachers; they can be learned from and are potentially useful professional contacts once one’s program is completed.  

Studying at CEU helped Janos get to grips with the more practical component of human rights, i.e. how human rights are realised on the ground, who the key actors are, and what their motivations may be. He believes that this ultimately provided a solid foundation for his career teaching, researching and practicing international human rights law.

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